East Acton Village Plan

TOWN OF ACTON

EAST ACTON VILLAGE PLAN

East Acton Village Planning Committee Acton Planning Department January, 2004 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………..1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……….....………..……………….………………………………..5

ACRONYMS LIST AND GLOSSARY……………………………..…………………………6

EAST ACTON VILLAGE (EAV) PLAN SUMMARY - "THE PLAN AT A GLANCE"....11

CHAPTER 1: HISTORY OF EAV AND THE PLANNING AREA………..…..………….30

Introduction and Summary...... 30 1500 - 1619...... 31 1620 - 1674...... 31 1675 - 1774...... 32 1775 - 1829...... 32 1830 - 1869...... 33 1870 - 1914...... 34 1915 - 1949...... 35 1950 +...... 36 EAV Historic Resources - Draft Proposed List, January 25, 2004...... ….37 Figure 1. - East Acton Rail Station (c. 1909).…………….…...…………………….45 Figure 2. - East Acton Village Green (pre-1939)……...….…...……………………46

CHAPTER 2: EXISTING CONDITIONS...... 47

The East Acton Village (EAV) Planning Area...... 47 Topography and Soils...... 47 Groundwater...... 47 Surface Water...... 48 Drainage and Stormwater Runoff...... 48 Wetlands and Floodplain...... 48 Vernal Pools...... 48 Wildlife...... 49 Endangered Species...... 49 Scenic Roads...... 49 Chapter 61, 61A, and 61B Lands...... 50 Conservation Land...... 50 Zoning and Land Uses...... 50 Buildout...... 51 Map 1. - East Acton Village Planning Area...... 52 Map 2. - Soil Series in the East Acton Village Planning Area...... 53 Map 3. - East Acton Village Planning Area Drainage Basins...... 54 Map 4. - East Acton Village Planning Area Wetlands Setbacks...... 55

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Map 5. - East Acton Village Planning Area Current Zoning……...……………….56

CHAPTER 3: PLANNING EAST ACTON VILLAGE (EAV)...... 57

Why there is an East Acton Village (EAV) Plan...... 57 How the EAV Plan Relates to Other Acton Plans...... 57 The Planning Process...... 58 Surveys and Public Input Meetings...... 59 The EAV Plan Format (explains how the EAV Plan is organized)...... 60 Strategies Tables Key...... 61

CHAPTER 4: VILLAGE CHARACTER AND HOUSING...... 62

Goal V1………...…………………………………...……….………………………….64 Issues...... 65 Recommendations...... 65 Goal V1 Recommended Strategies Table...... 67 Implementation...... 69 Figure 3. - An Example of a New England Village Streetscape….…………….…70

Goal V2...... 71 Issues...... 71 Recommendations...... 71 Goal V2 Recommended Strategies Table...... 73 Implementation...... 75

Goal V3...... 77 Issues...... 77 Other Ideas Considered...... 78 Recommendations...... 78 Goal V3 Recommended Strategies Table...... 80 Implementation...... 84 Map 6. - Proposed Zoning Change - EAV-2 Zoning District………………………88 Map 7. - Proposed Zoning Changes - EAV Green & 8 Wetherbee Street… .……89 Figure 4. - Existing Streetscape in East Acton Village…….……….……………….90 Figure 5. - Proposed Streetscape Improvements for East Acton Village ..…….....91 Figure 6. - Example of a Gateway / Entrance Sign……………… ....…..…………...92

Goal V4...... 93 Issues...... 93 Recommendations...... 93 Goal V4 Recommended Strategies Table...... 94 Implementation...... 96 Map 8. - TDR Sending Properties Bordering Nashoba Brook in EAV & EAV-2…99

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Goal V5...... 100 Description of Existing Housing in East Acton...... 100 Issues...... 102 Recommendations and Implementation...... 102 Goal V5 Recommended Strategies Table...... 103

CHAPTER 5: TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE...... 104

Goal T1...... 105 Issues...... 105 Recommendations...... 105 Ideas Considered But Not Recommended...... 106 Goal T1 Recommended Strategies Table...... 107 Implementation...... 112 Map 9. - Proposed Sidewalk System...... 114

Goal T2...... 115 Issues...... 115 Recommendations and Implementation...... 116 Goal T2 Recommended Strategies Table...... 117

Goal T3...... 119 Issues...... 119 Recommendations and Implementation...... 119 Goal T3 Recommended Strategies Table...... 123

Goal T4...... 128 Objective 1: Issues, Recommendations, and Implementation...... 128 Objective 2: Issues, Recommendations, and Implementation...... 129 Objective 3: Issues, Recommendations, and Implementation...... 131 Goal T4 Recommended Strategies Table...... 132

CHAPTER 6: ENVIRONMENT, OPEN SPACE, AND RECREATION...... 133

Goal E1...... 136 Issues...... 136 Objective 1 Recommendations...... 138 Objective 2 Recommendations...... 141 Objective 3 Recommendations...... 141 Goal E1 Recommended Strategies Table…………………………………………145

Goal E2…………………………………………………………..……..………………..149 Issues, Recommendations and Implementation……… ..…………………………149 Goal E2 Recommended Strategies Table…………………………………………151

Goal E3 …………….…………………………………………………………………152

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Issues...... 152 Recommendations...... 153 Goal E3 Recommended Strategies Table ………………………………...………159

Goal E4...... 162 Issues...... 162 Recommendations...... 162 Implementation...... 164 Goal E4 Recommended Strategies Table ……..…………………....…………….165

CHAPTER 7: OTHER PROJECTS IN THE EAV PLANNING AREA...... 167

East Acton Village Green...... 167 The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail...... 169

REFERENCES...... 172

APPENDICES……………………………………………………………..………………….176

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Members of the East Acton Village Planning Committee (EAVPC) include: Mr. David Brown Mr. Tom McLaughlin Ms. Betsy Comstock Mr. Ken Sghia-Hughes, Chairman Ms. Stacey Durkin Mr. Steve Steinberg Ms. Carol Holley Ms. Micki Williams Ms. Susan Kennedy Mr. Art Wu Ms. Kristin Alexander (staff liaison to the Committee) ______Many people have participated in and contributed greatly to the East Acton Village planning process. The East Acton Village Planning Committee (EAVPC) would like to thank the following organizations and individuals for helping to create a better East Acton Village. To those of you not listed who have responded to the survey, attended public input meetings, and supported the planning process in other ways – thank you.

Former EAVPC Members Mr. Alan Hart Ms. Susan Mitchell-Hardt Ms. Prudence Spencer Mr. Tom Lemire Mr. Ed Pearson Mr. Craig Surprise Ms. Mary Michelman Ms. Lisa Pearson

Supporters and Volunteers Mr. Eric Alexander Mr. Martin Graetz Mr. Greg Niemyski The Anonymous Donor Mr. Peter Grover Mr. Tom Michelman Ms. Carol Brady Mr. Dave Harris Mr. Hart Millett Ms. Erna Brandon Ms. Sally Heaney Ms. Patricia Moore Mr. David Brusie Mr. Bob Johnson Ms. Lauren Rosenzweig Ms. Isabella V. Choate Mr. Terry Kennaugh Mr. Lenny Weiner Mr. Bill Collantoni Mr. Bill Klauer Ms. Dewi Win Ms. Carol Cornelius Mr. Bernie Kosicki Mr. George Wrenn Ms. Anne Forbes Ms. Carol LoPiccolo

Agencies, Businesses, Consultants, and Organizations Acton Historical Society O’Neil Design Acton Housing Authority Stamski & McNary, Inc. Acton Monument Company MA Dept. of Housing & Community Dev. Acton Water District SunLite Café, formerly of Great Rd., Acton Bagels Plus, Acton The Cecil Group Dunkin’ Donuts, Great Road, Acton Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. (VHB) Fay, Spofford & Thorndike

Town of Acton Departments, Boards, and Committees Acton Community Housing Corporation Information Technology Department Acton Historical Commission Manager Department Board of Selectmen Municipal Properties Department Building Department Natural Resources Department Cable Advisory Committee Outdoor Lighting Advisory Committee Conservation Commission Planning Department Engineering Department Planning Board Health Department Transportation Advisory Committee Highway Department Page 5 ACRONYMS LIST and GLOSSARY

The East Acton Village Plan contains many acronyms and planning/zoning terms. To assist the reader, a list of acronyms and a glossary are provided below.

21E Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 21E, AAB Architectural Access Board ACES Acton Citizens for Environmental Safety ACT Acton Conservation Trust ADA Americans with Disabilities Act ARC Agriculture, Recreation, and Conservation Zoning District AWD Acton Water District BFRT Bruce Freeman Rail Trail BMP Best Management Practice BOH Board of Health BOS Board of Selectmen CMR Code of Massachusetts Regulations ConsCom Conservation Commission CR Conservation Restriction CWS Concord Water Supply DEP (Massachusetts) Department of Environmental Protection DPW Department of Public Works EAV East Acton Village EAV II East Acton Village II EAVO East Acton Village Organization EAVPC East Acton Village Planning Committee EDC Economic Development Committee EOTC Executive Office of Transportation and Construction FAR Floor Area Ratio FCO Full Cutoff GARP Green Space Acquisition Ranking Program IMP Integrated Management Practice LB Limited Business Zoning District LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LID Low Impact Development LOS Level of Service MADEP Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection MADEP Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Bureau BWSC of Waste Site Cleanup MGD Millions of Gallons per day MHC Massachusetts Historical Commission NAV North Acton Village NGO Nongovernmental Organization NR National Register OAR Organization for the Assabet River OSRC Open Space and Recreation Committee

Acronyms List and Glossary Page 6

ACRONYMS LIST AND GLOSSARY (cont.)

OSRP Open Space and Recreation Plan (Acton’s) PB Planning Board PDR Purchase of Development Rights SAV South Acton Village SM Small Manufacturing Zoning District TAC Transportation Advisory Committee TDR Transfer of Development Rights TM Town Meeting VHB Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. WAV West Acton Village WSDA Water Supply District of Acton

Arcaded walkway – covered walkways at the edge of buildings, which are partly inside, partly outside - play a vital role in the way that people interact with buildings.

Best Management Practices (BMPs) – a practice or combination of practices that a designated agency determines to be the most effective, practical means of reducing the amount of pollution generated by non point sources to a level compatible with water quality goals.

Built environment – buildings, structures, and ancillaries comprising an interrelated man-made area, often architectural in character

Bioretention – detention, treatment and infiltration of stormwater in vegetated basins

Buffer – protective zone where permitted activity or construction is limited

Chapter 61 – Massachusetts Legislation enabling the granting of property tax discounts for certain conservation, forestry, and agricultural land uses

Center – cohesive core of residential civic, religious and/or commercial buildings, arranged along a main street and intersecting streets

Community Preservation Committee - a group of individuals appointed by the Board of Selectmen to administer the funds generated by the Community Preservation Act

Conservation Restriction (CR) – legal document limiting the activities and development that may be permitted on a parcel of land for environmental protection purposes

Cultural Resource List – a means of classifying architectural, cultural, political, economic or historically significant structures, compiled by the Acton Historical Commission. Structures on the list fall under the Town’s demolition delay bylaw.

Acronyms List and Glossary Page 7

ACRONYMS LIST AND GLOSSARY (cont.)

Decentralized Wastewater Management – centralized management of dispersed on- site or near-site individual, or neighborhood and community, small-scale wastewater treatment systems

Design Elements – architectural and landscape characteristics of a site

Developable Site Area – the part of the lot which remains after subtracting land that is not available and suitable for the construction of a structure or other manmade improvements. Land not suitable or available for development includes wetlands, flood plain, another zoning district where the use is not permitted, an access right-of-way.

Dimensional Requirements – length, width, height and footprint of buildings and areas of lots as defined by zoning regulations

East Acton Village (EAV) – zoning district along Great Road in Acton from the Concord Town Line to just past Concord Road

East Acton Village Green (EAV Green) – proposed open space development located at the intersection of Great Road and Concord Road

East Acton Village 2 (EAV-2)– new zoning district abutting East Acton Village

Effluent – wastewater

Eutrophication - the aging process of a lake, pond, or slow-moving stream, in which organic material (from plants) accumulates and slowly replaces oxygen. Eventually, the body of water fills in and becomes dry land.

Floor Area (Net) – the total of all floor areas of a building including basement and other storage areas, but not including stairways, elevator wells, rest rooms, common hallways and building services areas

Floor Area Ratio (FAR) – The ratio of the net floor area of a building(s) to the developable site area of the lot on which the building(s) is located

Full Cutoff Lighting (FCO) - A luminaire light distribution, specified by the IESNA, where zero candela intensity occurs at an angle of 90 degrees above nadir, and at all greater angles from nadir. Additionally, the candela per 1000 lamp lumens does not numerically exceed 100 (10 percent) at a vertical angle of 80 degrees above nadir. Nadir is the point directly vertically below the luminaire (Acton Draft Outdoor Lighting Regulations, Appendix S).

Gateway – passage into or out of a place, landmark denoting entrance into a place

Acronyms List and Glossary Page 8

ACRONYMS LIST AND GLOSSARY (cont.)

Greenbelt – area of park, open space or other natural setting in a community, usually elongated and often serving as a buffer zone between types of land use or developed land and a water resource

Gooseneck lighting – exterior lighting for signage characterized by long, arced “necks”, like that of a goose

Infrastructure – facilities and services needed to sustain residential and commercial activities and industry (streets, water and sewer lines, communications, public facilities, etc.)

Integrated Management Practices (IMPs) – lot-based stormwater management devices used in Low Impact Development

Intermodal – between different modes of travel (walking, bicycling, driving, public transit, etc)

Level of Service (LOS) – A standard automobile traffic condition classification system (Highway Capacity Manual, Transportation Research Board, 1985), where the levels range from A (Free-Flow Operations) to F (Breakdown).

LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, represents the U.S. Green Building Council’s effort to provide a national standard for what constitutes a “green building” (Appendix L).

Low Impact Development (LID) – comprehensive technology-based approach to managing urban stormwater that combines a hydrologically functional site design with pollution prevention measures to compensate for land development impacts on hydrology and water quality. Stormwater is managed in small, cost-effective landscape features located on each lot rather than being conveyed and managed in large, costly pond facilities located at the bottom of drainage areas.

Massachusetts Pedestrian Transportation Plan - a guide to state, regional, and local transportation planning to better serve walkers. The plan's recommendations aim at developing a more pedestrian-focused transportation system.

Menu – list of options for increasing density at a site in the East Acton Village Zoning District

Pedestrian Plaza – outdoor pedestrian-oriented space that can provide an attractive and relaxing contract to activities and facilities around them and can serve as an entrance space to an important group of buildings

Purchase of Development Rights (PDRs) – transfer of development rights for a certain parcel of land to another party who sequesters those rights rather than using them on a different parcel of land

Acronyms List and Glossary Page 9

ACRONYMS LIST AND GLOSSARY (cont.)

Riparian – pertaining to rivers or other body of water

Runoff – rain water that flows across the surface of the land, especially across impervious surface

Setback – area measured from a structure to either the road right-of-way or a side or rear lot line.

Smart Growth – environmentally sensitive land development with the goals of minimizing dependence on auto transportation, reducing air pollution, and making infrastructure investments more efficient

Stamped Asphalt Crosswalk – a crosswalk surfaced with an imprinted and coated asphalt with "grid style" depressions to replicate, in relief, the concrete grout depressions common to hand-laid brick, cobblestone, and stamped concrete. The finished effect mimics the color and texture of natural paving materials.

Sustainable Development – development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Traffic calming - "Traffic calming is the combination of mainly physical measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior and improve conditions for non-motorized street users." (Institute of Transportation Engineers, Subcommittee on Traffic Calming)

Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs) – a mechanism for centering density by allowing for the sale of development density rights by the owner of a parcel in a designated “sending” zoning district to a designated “receiving” zoning district. It is the conveyance of development rights by a legal instrument to another parcel of land.

Transmissivity – rate at which water is transmitted (through soil)

Vector – agent used as vehicle of transfer

Vehicular Conflict – a point where vehicular paths cross, such as at driveway entrances and intersections, which causes traffic to slowdown and creates the potential for accidents.

Acronyms List and Glossary Page 10

EAST ACTON VILLAGE (EAV) PLAN SUMMARY “THE PLAN AT A GLANCE”

This section is meant to provide the reader with an easy to read summary of the goals, objectives, and strategies created for the East Acton Village (EAV) area. A general timeline of the strategies is also provided. Strategies with an asterisk (*) are proposed changes to the Acton Zoning Bylaw or Town Bylaw.

Plan at a Glance Key

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Village Character and Housing Goal V1: Reinforce community by creating a sustainable, memorable, shared experience 64 connecting the full spectrum of the local population. Objective 1: Enhance diversity of uses and users in a socially and economically sustainable 65 manner.

The Plan at a Glance Page 11

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Amend Table of Principal Uses in Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to allow appropriately scaled V1.1a recreational, educational, commercial entertainment, High 67 * and additional business types and prohibit more gas stations, nursing homes and trade shops. Establish an informal organization (EAVO) consisting of local residents, business owners, and property V1.1b High 67 owners to monitor and promote the Goals and Objectives of the EAV Plan. Encourage campaigns to increase recognition, V1.1c patronage, and community involvement of village Low 67 businesses. V1.1d Produce an EAV business directory. Low 67 Establish cultural and public service presence in the V1.1e Medium 67 village. Objective 2: 65 Integrate commercial, recreational, civic life around a community focal point. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to V1.2a include “Special Provisions for East Acton Village” High 67 * design standards to help developers understand the vision for East Acton Village. Establish, construct and continually enhance the East V1.2b High 68 Acton Village Green. V1.2c Construct the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (BFRT). High 68 V1.2d Amend Dimensional Requirements for the EAV High 68 * Zoning District to decrease minimum setbacks. Objective 3: Enhance and promote a sense of “connectedness” between indoors and 65 outdoors (i.e., the structure and its lot); among multiple structures/lots within the village; and between the village center and its surroundings. V1.3a Amend Dimensional Requirements for the EAV High 68 * Zoning District to decrease minimum setbacks. V1.3b Augment existing sidewalk network. Medium 68 Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to V1.3c include “Special Provisions for East Acton Village” High 68 * design standards to help developers understand the vision for East Acton Village. Village Character and Housing Goal V2: 71 Preserve East Acton Village’s historic, cultural and recreational resources. Objective 1: Research, locate, and document historical buildings and structures in order to 71 preserve them.

The Plan at a Glance Page 12

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Using the appropriate survey form from the MA Historical Commission, document those buildings, V2.1a High 73 unique physical sites, landmarks, archeological sites, etc. that distinguish East Acton Village. Conduct a study to determine whether additional preservation measures are necessary to encourage V2.1b Low 73 the maintenance and preservation of architecturally and historically significant resources in the EAV area. Objective 2: Encourage the preservation, maintenance, and restoration of historically or 71 architecturally significant structures and places. Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District V2.2a to encourage the preservation of EAV structures on High 73 * the Town Cultural Resource List. Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to provide incentives for the renovation of historic structures which reestablish approximate original V2.2b facades. With guidance from the Acton Historical Medium 73 * Commission, new structures with complementary architecture could be constructed on the same site through increased FAR where appropriate from the density options menu. V2.2c Compile a written history of East Acton Village. Medium 74 Objective 3: 71 Support cultural and recreational events, places and opportunities. Establish an informal organization (EAVO) consisting of local residents, business owners, and property V2.3a High 74 owners to monitor and promote the Goals and Objectives of the EAV Plan. Objective 4: Encourage restoration/preservation of existing common spaces and public lands 71 for shared community experiences. Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District V2.4a to encourage the development and/or preservation of High 74 * common spaces by providing incentives for them. V2.4b Construct the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (BFRT). High 74 Establish, construct, and continually enhance the East V2.4c High 74 Acton Village Green. Village Character and Housing Goal V3: Create a defining identity for East Acton Village that enhances the appearance and 77 better distinguishes East Acton Village from the rest of the Great Road corridor.

The Plan at a Glance Page 13

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Objective 1: Establish a system of consistent design elements to delineate the village area 77 and enhance village aesthetics. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to V3.1a include “Special Provisions for East Acton Village” High 80 * design standards to help developers understand the vision for East Acton Village. Amend the “Maximum Floor Area of Businesses and V3.1b Industries” Zoning Bylaw table for the EAV Zoning High 80 * District to provide for a greater variety of business types and sizes.. Objective 2: Ensure that land uses and densities allowed, along with the dimensional 77 requirements for buildings, parking lots, and other structures, create a village ambiance and promote the village as an activity center. V3.2a Require landscaping for parking that will enhance the High 80 * village environment. Amend the Zoning Bylaw to reduce the minimum open V3.2b space requirement in the EAV Zoning District from High 80 * 35% to 25%. Increase tree plantings and other landscaping, V3.2c encourage grounds maintenance, and encourage the High 80 development of green spaces throughout the Village. V3.2d Encourage underground utility lines. Medium 80 Install EAV gateway signage at the EAV Green and at V3.2e the beginning of the landscaped transition area near High 81 Keefe Road. V3.2f Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to High 81 * create an EAV-2 Zoning District. V3.2g Rezone tax map G5, parcel 69 (8 Wetherbee Street) High 81 * from SM to EAV. V3.2h Rezone tax map G4, parcel 212 at corner of Concord High 81 * Road and Great Road from LB to ARC. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to V3.2i disallow above-ground structured parking in EAV High 81 * District. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to V3.2j reduce required minimum parking within the EAV High 81 * Village District to 70% of that presently required.

The Plan at a Glance Page 14

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to reduce parking required within the EAV Village District V3.2k to 50% of that presently required if shared parking is Medium 81 * used and reduce the parking requirement in the EAV- 2 district to 70% of that presently required if shared parking is used. Objective 3: Encourage private or volunteer efforts to improve community identification, to 77 create a sense of place and pride. Encourage, through the volunteer organization (EAVO), activity in the Village through both public V3.3a Medium 82 programs and private efforts (i.e., book fairs, concerts, sidewalk sales, exhibits and artists’ corners). Facilitate the joint effort of Town personnel and V3.3b High 82 community volunteers to beautify East Acton Village. Objective 4: 77 Promote a community focus and awareness within and around the village. Encourage, through the volunteer organization (EAVO), activity in the Village through both public V3.4a Medium 82 programs and private efforts (i.e., book fairs, concerts, sidewalk sales, exhibits and artists’ corners). Facilitate the joint effort of Town personnel and V3.4b High 82 community volunteers to beautify East Acton Village. Establish, construct, and continually enhance the East V3.4c High 82 Acton Village Green. Working with the Acton Historical Commission, establish the use of plaques that name buildings, V3.4d High 82 famous sites or discuss historic events within the Village. Objective 5: Encourage the on-going maintenance and repair of buildings, structures, and 76 properties within the village. Establish an informal organization (EAVO) consisting of local residents, business owners, and property V3.5a High 83 owners to monitor and promote the Goals and Objectives of the EAV Plan. Make the design standards for East Acton Village in the Zoning Bylaw available to property owners to help V3.5b High 83 them understand the vision and guide them when maintaining/developing their properties. Objective 6: 77 Encourage façade and signage improvements.

The Plan at a Glance Page 15

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Amend sign bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to allow V3.6a for exterior sign improvements and to provide a Medium 83 * unifying feature to the village district. Village Character and Housing Goal V4: Encourage the qualities, characteristics, and ambiance of a village center through 93 appropriate development or redevelopment. Objective 1: Ensure that any new buildings, structures, renovations and additions are situated, designed and built at a human scale and in a style that is compatible 93 with existing historical village structures and in harmony with the residential village architecture. V4.1a Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to High 94 * create design standards for EAV. Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District V4.1b to provide a menu of incentives to developers to High 94 * encourage the type and location of density that enhances a village ambiance. Objective 2: Discourage “highway strip” development and strip malls. Instead, encourage 93 buildings with architectural detail and richness. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to V4.2a change dimensions and parking requirements to High 94 * permit the clustering of separate buildings on separate lots and to reduce curb cuts. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to V4.2b require both vertical and horizontal variety in large High 94 * buildings to enhance village aesthetics. Objective 3: Enhance and promote a sense of “connectedness” between indoors and 93 outdoors (i.e., the structure and its lot); among multiple structures/lots within the village; and between the village center and its surroundings. Provide walkways, bike paths, arcaded walks, etc. to V4.3a connect EAV internally and with the surrounding High 94 * communities. Promote development or redevelopment that V4.3b High 94 encourages walking or the use of bicycles. Objective 4: Ensure a variety of residential and business opportunities by promoting a mix of 93 land and building uses that enhance the village character. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to V4.4a allow multi-family housing as a primary use and to High 95 * limit the units per building to a maximum of four.

The Plan at a Glance Page 16

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to V4.4b provide that apartments in excess of four units be High 95 * permitted above the ground floor in mixed use developments. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to V4.4c reduce required parking within the EAV Village District High 95 * to 70% of that presently required. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to reduce parking required within the EAV Village District V4.4d to 50% of that presently required if shared parking is High 95 * used and reduce the parking requirement in the EAV- 2 district to 70% of that presently required if shared parking is used. Amend Zoning Bylaw land use table for the EAV V4.4e Zoning District to provide for a greater variety of High 95 * business types and sizes. Objective 5: Encourage a diversity of neighborhood-oriented retail and business 93 development and redevelopment. Amend Zoning Bylaw land use table for the EAV V4.5a Zoning District to provide for a greater variety of High 95 * business types and sizes. V4.5b Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to High 95 * limit certain business sizes to maintain village scale. Village Character and Housing Goal V5: Promote diverse residential development in East Acton Village and the surrounding 100 area. Objective 1: 100 Encourage apartments above retail stores, offices, and other permitted uses. Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District V5.1a to provide that residential apartments in excess of four High 103 * units be permitted above the ground floor only in mixed use developments. Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District V5.1b to provide a menu of incentives to developers to High 103 * encourage the type and location of density that enhances a village ambiance. Objective 2: Encourage a mixture of housing opportunities including affordable, low and 100 moderate income in the village and within walking distance of the village.

The Plan at a Glance Page 17

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District V5.2a to allow multi-family housing up to a maximum of four High 103 * units per building. V5.2b Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to High 103 * allow two family houses by right in EAV. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to V5.2c provide incentives to preserve historical homes by Medium 103 * providing FAR bonuses. Transportation & Infrastructure Goal T1: Improve safety, convenience, and comfort for pedestrians in East Acton Village 105 (EAV) and the surrounding area. Objective 1: Complete the sidewalk system as recommended on Great Road, Pope Road, 105 Wetherbee Street, and Keefe Road. Add the Great Road, Pope Road, Wetherbee Street, T1.1a and Keefe Road sidewalks to the Sidewalk Master High 107 Plan. Provide a continuous sidewalk of gray concrete on the north side of Great Road from just west of the T1.1b High 107 Concord Road intersection east to the Concord Town line. Provide a continuous sidewalk of gray concrete on the T1.1c south side of Great Road from the Concord Road Medium 107 intersection east to the Concord Town line. Repair and upgrade sidewalks in EAV Zoning District to meet Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and T1.1d Medium 107 Massachusetts Architectural Access Board (AAB) requirements. Construct a sidewalk on the east side of Pope Road T1.1e Medium 107 between Bayberry Road and Great Road. Complete sidewalk on west side of Pope Road from T1.1f Great Road up to Brabrook Road as pedestrian traffic Low 108 warrants. Construct a sidewalk on the east side of Wetherbee T1.1g Street from Great Road through the end of the Low 108 residential area as pedestrian traffic warrants. T1.1h Construct a sidewalk on the south side of Keefe Road. Low 108 Objective 2: Provide walkways to connect East Acton Village with surrounding residential 105 and natural resource areas and to interconnect buildings and lots within the village.

The Plan at a Glance Page 18

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Create walkways between the businesses on the T1.2a north side of Great Road and the residential areas High 108 * surrounding them. Establish, construct, and continually enhance the East Acton Village Green, ensuring that it accommodates T1.2b High 108 the Rail Trail as well as good pedestrian access to and from the Village and nearby neighborhoods. Create safe walkways through large parking areas T1.2c using raised, marked crosswalks; by using High 108 * thermoplastic marking material; or any other approved design to make the walkways noticeable to drivers. Require developers to have sidewalks or pedestrian T1.2d trails connecting to adjacent lots at logical connecting High 109 * points if properties are renovated or redeveloped. Objective 3: Support efforts to provide pedestrian scale lighting, benches, and other 105 amenities. Require “full cut-off” (FCO) lights in parking areas and T1.3a along walkways that are of human scale providing High 109 adequate light without creating glare. Require benches or seating areas (steps, granite T1.3b blocks, etc.) in or near green spaces within the village Medium 109 * with consideration for maintaining village character. Require stroller “parking” areas throughout the Village T1.3c to provide parents a safe place for their carriages and Low 109 * strollers while they shop. Objective 4: Install crosswalks, other pedestrian crossings, and traffic calming measures to 105 facilitate pedestrian access, circulation, and safety. Establish a crosswalk on Great Road just west of the T1.4a intersection with Concord Road. Consider adding a High 109 pedestrian-operated stop light at this intersection. Install a traffic light at Great Road and Concord Road. T1.4b This should be the next traffic light installed on Great Medium 110 Road east of Rt. 27. Establish a crosswalk on Great Road just east of the T1.4c High 110 intersection with Wetherbee Street. Establish a crosswalk on Great Road just west of the intersection with Keefe Road. Consider adding a T1.4d Low 110 pedestrian-operated stop light at this intersection as conditions warrant.

The Plan at a Glance Page 19

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Establish a new, stamped asphalt crosswalk across T1.4e High 110 Pope Road at its intersection with Great Road. Establish a new, stamped asphalt crosswalk across T1.4f Medium 110 Concord Road at its intersection with Great Road. Establish a new, stamped asphalt crosswalk across T1.4g Medium 110 Wetherbee Street at its intersection with Great Road. Establish a new, stamped asphalt crosswalk across T1.4h Low 111 Keefe Road at its intersection with Great Road. Install a series of integrated traffic calming measures along the length of Pope Road at key locations, T1.4i Medium 111 including signage and a raised crosswalk at intersection with Bayberry Road. Paint shoulder striping (“Fog lines”) along the edges of T1.4j Medium 111 Pope Road Transportation & Infrastructure Goal T2: 115 Improve bicycle access and safety in East Acton Village and the surrounding area. Objective 1: 115 Support efforts to develop the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Share the results of the EAV Transportation Study T2.1a with the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail team and other Medium 117 citizen groups supporting the Rail Trail. Ensure that a Town Bruce Freeman Rail Trail planning committee requires a representative from East Acton, T2.1b High 117 ideally a representative from the EAV volunteer organization or a former member of EAVPC. T2.1c Construct the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. High 117 Establish, construct, and continually enhance the East Acton Village Green, ensuring that it accommodates T2.1d High 117 the Rail Trail as well as good pedestrian access to and from the Village and nearby neighborhoods. Objective 2: Provide clear, convenient, and safe bikeways within East Acton Village and 115 connecting East Acton Village with surrounding residential and natural resource areas, and the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Provide clear and convenient bicycle connections from T2.2a the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail to businesses in the Medium 117 * Village area, where appropriate. Support the addition of bike lanes along Great Road from the point near Route 27 at which the BFRT T2.2b Low 118 crosses Great Road west to Littleton with appropriate signage and pavement markings.

The Plan at a Glance Page 20

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Add a bike lane or path along the north side of T2.2c Concord Road from the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail to Medium 118 the proposed crosswalk across Great Road. Add signage on Pope Road reminding motorists and T2.2d Medium 118 bicyclists that this is a shared road. As part of the redesign of the Rt. 2 rotary, support the T2.2e inclusion of appropriate travel ways for bicycles from High 118 the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail to cross Rt. 2. Objective 3: 115 Ensure pedestrian and bicycle compatibility. Encourage the provision of separate bike paths and T2.3a sidewalks throughout EAV Zoning District where there Low 118

is sufficient space to do so. Objective 4: 115 Encourage bicycle use through incorporation of bicycle facilities. T2.4a Provide public bicycle parking facilities in Village Medium 118 * areas. Transportation & Infrastructure Goal T3: 119 Improve vehicular circulation and safety within the village district. Objective 1: 119 Eliminate points of automobile conflict. Limit street curb cuts for driveways and businesses, making their boundaries clear so pedestrians and T3.1a drivers know where they are safe and where to be Medium 123 * careful, and narrowing the existing wide curb cuts. Where wide driveways remain, consider installing crosswalks. Reduce speed limit on Great Road to 35 MPH from T3.1b the town of Concord border to ¼ mile west of Concord High 123 Road. Establish a crosswalk on Great Road just west of the T3.1c intersection with Concord Road. Consider adding a High 123 pedestrian-operated stop light at this intersection. Recommend installation of a traffic light at Great Road T3.1d and Concord Road. This should be the next traffic High 123 light installed on Great Road east of Rt. 27. Install a traffic hump and raised crosswalk on Pope T3.1e Medium 123 Road at the Bayberry Road intersection. Require any new development or redevelopment to T3.1f demonstrate how bicycles will safely travel through the Medium 124 * parking lot to bicycle racks.

The Plan at a Glance Page 21

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Reconfigure the Keefe Road intersection with Great Road, consolidating the driveways near the T3.1g Medium 124 intersection and creating a small green space in front of 1 Keefe Road. Establish a crosswalk on Great Road just west of the T3.1h intersection with Keefe Road. Consider adding a Low 124 pedestrian-operated stop light at this intersection. Establish a crosswalk on Great Road just east of the T3.1i High 124 intersection with Wetherbee Street. Install landscaped transition section on Great Road as part of the redesign of Keefe Road or near the Town T3.1j of Concord border that provides a “gateway” to EAV High 125 and slightly narrows the roadway at the entry point into EAV. Design and install landscaping at the East Acton Village Green and at the east end of the village to give T3.1k High 125 a similar “Gateway” appearance on both ends of the Village. Install EAV gateway signage at the EAV Green and at T3.1l the beginning of the landscaped transition area near High 125 Keefe Road. Objective 2: 119 Improve traffic flow and increase safety of turning movements at intersections. Straighten Concord Road at Great Road intersection T3.2a High 125 with defined left turn lane on Concord Road. Reduce the slope of the intersection of Concord Road T3.2b High 125 at Great Road. Recommend installation of a traffic light at Great Road T3.2c and Concord Road. This should be the next traffic High 125 light installed on Great Road east of Rt. 27. Define a left turn lane on Pope Road at its intersection T3.2d Medium 126 with Great Road. Paint shoulder striping (“Fog lines”) along the edges of T3.2e Medium 126 Pope Road. Objective 3: Avoid redundancy in parking and excessive pavement by encouraging 119 combined parking facilities between businesses, recreation and entertainment outlets.

The Plan at a Glance Page 22

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Amend the Zoning Bylaw for EAV to reduce required parking within EAV Zoning District to 50% of that T3.3a presently required if shared parking is used and High 126 * reduce the parking requirement in the EAV-2 district to 70% of that presently required if shared parking is used. Install on-street parking in EAV Zoning District along T3.3b High 126 Great Road. Install on-street parking on the northeast side of Keefe T3.3c Medium 126 Road. Grade and re-gravel the parking area at Ice House Pond to support vehicles parking to use the East T3.3d Medium 126 Acton Village Green and the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Recommend the completion of a parking area on Wetherbee Street on the State Police Equestrian T3.3e Low 126 Facility to support traffic for the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and the conservation land on Wetherbee St. Objective 4: Reduce traffic volume by promoting public transportation to other activity 119 centers such as other village districts and transportation nodes. Support the implementation of a regional public T3.4a Low 127 transportation system as conditions make it feasible. Transportation & Infrastructure Goal T4: 128 Increase accessibility to public facilities and utility services. Objective 1: 128 Encourage environmentally responsible wastewater treatment options. Plan and implement appropriate shared wastewater T4.1a High 132 systems in East Acton. Support the creation of a town wastewater management body so that the most appropriate T4.1b Medium 132 wastewater treatment options are available to East Acton Village. Objective 2: 129 Provide adequate drinking water to East Acton. Encourage the extension of Acton water to areas in T4.2a Medium 132 East Acton currently served by Concord water. Objective 3: 131 Assure that other utilities are adequately provided to East Acton. T4.3a Encourage adequate cellular service to East Acton. Medium 132

The Plan at a Glance Page 23

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Encourage high-visibility fireboxes and/or emergency T4.3b phones throughout the village and at places like the High 132 rail trail and the Village Green to ensure public safety. Construct public toilet facilities at rail trail and other T4.3c Low 132 appropriate areas as needed. Environment, Open Space & Recreation Goal E1: Protect and improve the quality and quantity of groundwater and surface water 136 resources in the East Acton Village Area. Objective 1: Encourage development and redevelopment in the East Acton Village area that will not negatively impact EAV water resources, including the use of stormwater 136 management methods and wastewater disposal methods that minimize adverse environmental impact. Amend Zoning Bylaw to reduce parking required within the EAV Village District to 50% of that presently E1.1a required if shared parking is used and reduce the High 145 * unshared parking in the EAV-2 district to 70% of that presently required if shared parking is used. In EAV, encourage clustering of buildings and tracts of E1.1b High 145 shared open space to reduce total impervious surface. Decrease impervious surfaces by encouraging E1.1c Medium 145 efficient design of parking spaces. Amend Zoning Bylaw to factor in a “bonus” of 25% for E1.1d TDRs sold from the parcels along the riparian High 145 * (streamside) corridor along Great Road to the other side of Great Road. Encourage snow stockpiling on pervious surfaces as E1.1e Medium 145 far away as possible from water bodies and wetlands. E1.1f Amend Zoning Bylaw to factor in a density bonus of High 145 * .05 FAR for LEED Certification. Require the planting of shade trees around the perimeter of parking areas to keep them cool, E1.1g particularly near wetlands or water bodies, and Medium 146 discourage the removal of mature trees in these areas. Educate the business owners in the EAV area, as well E1.1h as the public at large, to the importance of maintaining Medium 146 quality water bodies. Support the creation of a town wastewater management body so that the most appropriate E1.1i Medium 146 wastewater treatment options are available to East Acton Village.

The Plan at a Glance Page 24

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Objective 2: Facilitate, support, and /or maintain awareness of the cleanup of contaminated 136 (21E) sites and other conditions that may pose a threat to ground and surface water in East Acton Village. Inform developers or redevelopers interested in property in the EAV area of documents indicating the E1.2a Low 146 location of any substantial releases of oil or hazardous material and the contaminant plume locations (if any). Educate the public via articles in the Municipal Quarterly and elsewhere regarding significant E1.2b Low 146 releases of oil or hazardous materials in EAV (as well as other areas of Acton). Support local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) via information sharing and other means in their E1.2c Low 147 efforts to maintain awareness of the status of local releases. Objective 3: Support efforts to minimize both point and non-point source pollution, including 136 nonpoint source pollution associated with motor vehicle traffic. Encourage environmentally sound business practices as a means to this end. Incorporate Massachusetts Stormwater Management E1.3a High 147 Policies in their entirety into the Acton Zoning Bylaw. Design stormwater best management practices E1.3b (BMPs) and Integrated Management Practices (IMPs) High 147 to work effectively in the New England climate. Amend Zoning Bylaw to permit waiving of parking lot landscaping dimensional requirements if landscaped E1.3c areas are consolidated for the purposes of parking lot High 147 * runoff bioretention and the minimum dimensions of said areas are 38x12 feet. E1.3d Implement non-structural stormwater BMPs. Medium 147 E1.3e Implement pet waste clean-up program. Medium 147 Encourage participation in the LEED (Leadership in E1.3f Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building High 147 * Rating System. E1.3g Amend Town Bylaw to ban non-emergency internal Medium 148 * combustion engines used in or on Ice House Pond. Environment, Open Space & Recreation Goal E2: 149 Enhance outdoor recreation opportunities in the EAV area. Objective 1: Improve pedestrian and bicycle access to, between and within recreation and 149 conservation areas, e.g. the proposed Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.

The Plan at a Glance Page 25

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Construct or reconstruct sidewalks to improve pedestrian access within, to and from EAV as E2.1a High 151 described in the Transportation and Infrastructure chapter. Raise public awareness of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and EAV Green via signage, letters to E2.1b newspapers, public meetings, brochures available at High 151 kiosk, library and town hall, public meetings and events. Objective 2: Provide and encourage recreational opportunities in the EAV Area such as 149 skating, cross-country skiing, hiking, fishing and canoeing. Ensure that a substantial portion of the Morrison land E2.2a is left in its natural state to achieve a balance of High 151 passive and active recreation on the parcel. Support the development of playing fields and E2.2b High 151 playgrounds on a portion of the Morrison property. Encourage the Open Space and Recreation E2.2c Committee to have an EAV resident on the Medium 151 Committee. Establish, construct, and continually enhance the East E2.2d High 151 Acton Village Green. Environment, Open Space & Recreation Goal E3: Protect, enhance, and manage open spaces that have value as aesthetic, 152 agricultural, recreational, wetland, flood control and/or wildlife resources. Objective 1: 152 Promote creation and enhancement of open spaces for public use. Encourage creation of smaller public open spaces and E3.1a “pocket parks” within the EAV area in design High 159 * standards. Using the OSRP priority list and other ranking tools, protect appropriate existing open space and create E3.1b new open space by the “reclamation” of high priority High 159 parcels in the greater EAV area, by outright purchase, PDRs, CRs or TDRs. Objective 2: 152 Encourage protection and enhancement of wildlife habitat. E3.2a Amend Zoning Bylaw to factor in a density bonus of High 159 * .05 for LEED Certification.

The Plan at a Glance Page 26

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Publicize and encourage participation in programs such as the National Wildlife Federation’s Backyard E3.2b Medium 159 Habitat Program and the Humane Society of the United States Urban Wildlife Sanctuary Program. Support the establishment of a protected green belt E3.2c along Nashoba Brook and Ice House Pond by High 159 prioritization and acquisition of land areas. Objective 3: Support the establishment of a protected green belt along Nashoba Brook and 152 Ice House Pond. Prioritize land areas along Nashoba Brook and Ice E3.3a High 159 House Pond for protection as open space. Enable protection of high priority parcels by municipal E3.3b or private agencies by outright purchase or use of High 159 TDRs, CRs, or PDRs. Objective 4: 152 Promote cleanup of debris from private and public spaces. Designate a location within East Acton Village for E3.4a Medium 160 Acton Cleanup Day. Encourage cleanup of larger debris in the EAV area E3.4b by establishing an award and a means of publicizing Medium 160 it. In the Municipal Quarterly, The Beacon, the EAV Green kiosk and elsewhere, publicize the detrimental E3.4c Medium 160 effects of litter and debris on the environment and wildlife. Objective 5: Raise public awareness of the natural resources in the EAV area and their 152 benefits to the EAV community. E3.5a Publish articles in the Municipal Quarterly. High 160 Request feature articles to be published in The E3.5b Medium 160 Beacon. Continue to conduct nature walks with the Town Natural Resources Department Director or other E3.5c qualified individual on Wetherbee Street Conservation Medium 160 Land, Morrison Land, and in the future if established, the Nashoba Brook Greenway. Request publication of articles on the Nashoba Brook/Ice House Pond area in the NGO newsletters E3.5d and/or websites (Organization for the Assabet River Medium 160 (OAR), Acton Conservation Trust (ACT), Stream Team, etc.).

The Plan at a Glance Page 27

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Goal/ Strategy Strategy Priority Page Objective Number Post informational pieces about Open space in the E3.5e Medium 160 EAV area in the EAV Green information kiosk. Establish turnout areas along the Bruce Freeman Rail E3.5f Trail so that cyclists may enjoy the views of natural Medium 161 open space. Environment, Open Space & Recreation Goal E4: 162 Protect and promote air quality in the EAV area. Objective 1: 162 Encourage and support the establishment of green spaces. Ensure that a substantial portion of the Morrison E4.1a High 165 property remains in its natural state. E4.1b Amend Zoning Bylaw to establish Village landscaping High 165 * & plaza standards. Amend Zoning Bylaw to allow for density bonus to E4.1c encourage participation in LEED Green Building Medium 165 * Rating System. Objective 2: Ensure that existing and future development or redevelopment minimizes 162 harmful and noxious air emissions. Amend Zoning Bylaw to allow for density bonus to E4.2a Encourage participation in LEED Green Building Medium 165 * Rating System. Encourage control of odors from wastewater treatment E4.2b Low 165 systems. Objective 3: Minimize pollutant effects associated with motor vehicle traffic while ensuring 162 public safety. Work with MassHighway to improve traffic flow to E4.3a Medium 165 reduce pollution from idling vehicles. Work with Mass Highway to calm traffic to encourage E4.3b High 165 pedestrian and bicycle use. Provide turning lanes on Pope Road and Concord E4.3c Road as suggested in the Transportation and Medium 165 Infrastructure section of this document. Construct sidewalks according to the E4.3d recommendations in the Transportation and High 165 Infrastructure section of this document. Support the implementation of a regional public E4.3e Low 166 transportation system as it becomes feasible. Ensure the completion and integration of the Bruce E4.3f Medium 166 Freeman Rail Trail into East Acton Village.

The Plan at a Glance Page 28

THE PLAN AT A GLANCE (cont’d)

Strategies Timeline

Summarized below is the timeline for implementing East Acton Village strategies. All strategies generally fall under one of the categories listed. The chapter where the strategy/category is described is also provided: “V” = Village Character and Housing Chapter, “T” = Transportation and Infrastructure Chapter, “E” = Environment, Open Space and Recreation Chapter.

2004 – V: Zoning Bylaw Changes, EAVO, EAV Green, Historic Plaque Program T: Sidewalk Master Plan, Zoning Bylaw Changes, EAV Green E: Zoning Bylaw Changes, Town Bylaw Change, Engage EAV in Town Initiatives

2005 – V: Publicize Design Guidelines T: North-Side Great Road Sidewalks and Crosswalks, Pope Road Improvements, Concord Road Traffic Light E: Update Zoning Bylaw with Stormwater BMPs, Pet Waste Cleanup, Morrison Land Plan

2006 – V: EAV Business Directory, Cultural Presence, Historical Survey T: South-Side Great Road Sidewalks and Crosswalks, Concord/Great Road Intersection, Wetherbee/Great Road Intersection, Emergency Phones

2007 – T: Keefe Road Improvements

2008 – V: EAV Written History, Historic Preservation Study T: Wetherbee Sidewalk, Shared Wastewater & Management

2009 – T: Future Bicycling Improvements / BFRT

2014 – V: Underground Utility Lines

As Feasible / Warranted – T: Complete West-Side Pope Road Sidewalk, Complete Wetherbee Street Parking Area, Extend Wetherbee Street Sidewalk

Ongoing - V: EAV Recognition, Landscaping, Public Programs, Beautification, Historic Preservation T: Repair and Upgrade Sidewalks, Support Public Transportation, Encourage Adequate Utilities E: Encourage Green Development, Environmental Protection, Educate Public

The Plan at a Glance Page 29

CHAPTER 1: HISTORY OF EAST ACTON VILLAGE AND THE PLANNING AREA

Introduction and Summary

Historically, the area known as “East Acton” extended along Great Road from the Concord town line to the intersection with Main Street. The area has a rich history and is one of the oldest sections of Acton, especially around the East Acton Village planning area. Early descriptions of the landscape emphasize the vast areas of open meadows and grasslands along the brook that were important sources of hay for the early settlers. Today the area of Nashoba Brook near Brook Street and the open fields along Route 2 at Wetherbee Street are most evocative of the earlier landscape.

East Acton lies along a major trail used by Native Americans prior to the early 1600s. As the European settlements moved further into the frontier of the colony this trail became a major thoroughfare. The earliest recorded European settlers in Acton were the shepherd and the cattle herder for the Concord proprietors. Acton, known as Concord’s sheep pasture, was granted to the people of Concord in 1655 as grazing lands. The start of the Wheeler lease in 1669 is the earliest settlement date in the east part of Acton. The earliest industrial activity is Barker’s iron forge relocated from South Acton to East Acton in 1728.

In the late 1700s and early 1800s, mills and taverns developed in East Acton. By about the mid to late 1800s (into the early 1900s), the East Acton Village area was thriving with taverns/inns, mills, retailers, residents, a post office, its own school, and a railroad station (see Figure 1). Some of Acton’s most productive farms were located along Great Road, and one of its several taverns, Wetherbee’s Tavern, was known from as far away as Canada. Then in the early 1900s the village area began to change. Many of the mills ended operations. In 1897 East Acton’s school closed and was consolidated into the Center district. By 1930, most if not all of the taverns and inns had closed, although several small restaurants or sandwich shops were in operation along what had become a principal automobile route west through town. The East Acton post office closed in 1910 followed by the railroad station in 1938. As the automobile age progressed, however, some vibrant and unique enterprises such as an ice business continued, along with several farm stands and new businesses. By the 1950s, East Acton had transformed into primarily a retail, office, and auto-oriented business area with a few scattered agricultural uses and some small manufacturing. Remarkably, farming continued along Great Road until the end of the twentieth century. The last active farmstand disappeared just prior to this planning process.

Several prominent East Acton families played significant roles in the founding of the town, the start of the nation, and the development of East Acton. The Robbins family played a prominent role both in the founding of Acton and in the start of the American Revolution. The Wetherbees, who owned a tavern and mills on Nashoba Brook, also played a key role in the expansion of East Acton.

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 30

The next few pages describe the history of the East Acton Village area in more detail and are followed by a draft list of historic resources in East Acton. More research has been conducted on East Acton and is provided in Appendix I. The research in the appendix generally covers the area along Great Road from the Concord town line to Davis Road and is in draft format, but provides more details and poses many interesting questions. The East Acton history included in this chapter along with the history in the appendix is intended to serve as a foundation for future East Acton research.

1500 – 1619

Prior to 1615, there is evidence that the Massachuset Indians were settled in and around Acton. Unfortunately, there is not much known about the Indians. Artifacts indicating native hunting and fishing settlements were found in the Strawberry Hill and Hearthstone Hill areas. There is also evidence that a permanent village existed around Nagog Pond in 1655, prior to the establishment of the Praying Indian town of Nashoba. The early Native Americans survived on subsistence agriculture, fishing, hunting, and gathering. Their trails frequently followed waterways; later becoming transportation routes for the European settlers. A major trail/travel route followed Nashoba Brook to Nagog Pond. Historically this route has been called by many names (Groton Road, Littleton Road, Route 2, and the Mohawk Trail), eventually to be known as Great Road (Route 2A).

1620 - 1674

Most of Acton, including all of East Acton and East Acton Village, was part of a land grant called the New Grants of Concord or Concord Village. It was granted to the people of Concord in the 1650s to be used as additional grazing lands for their sheep and cattle. The grant from the Commonwealth gave the people of Concord full title to the lands. As was customary, agreements were made with the natives to purchase the land, and deeds signed by the sachems giving title were recorded. The old Indian deeds specify amounts to be reimbursed for shad, salmon, alewife, beaver, and land.

In 1669, Captain Thomas Wheeler leased 260 acres west of Nashoba Brook from the proprietors of Concord Village. As part of the agreement he was to improve the land by building a house and fencing in 30 acres of pasture to keep cattle for the townspeople. Captain Wheeler died in 1676 from wounds suffered through fighting the Indians. After the expiration of the lease in 1690 the land reverted to the control of the Concord Village proprietors and became common land again.1 Captain Wheeler was one of the first European settlers in Acton. His nearest neighbors (Law and Shepherd) would have been on the other side of present-day Route 2. Unfortunately, all the buildings from the early settlements and farms have disappeared.

1 There are conflicting references about the possible location of a gristmill dating to the1660s in this area. The existing contemporary evidence does not seem to support the theory of an early mill. The so-called Wheeler Grist Mill is most likely Thomas Wheeler, Jr.’s 1730 mill located in North Acton, not connected at all to the East Acton site.

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 31

1675 – 1774

In the last few years of the 1600s, with the Wheeler Lease expired, the Proprietors of Concord Village decided to divide the land in Concord Village among themselves. The first division of Concord Village finally happened in the 1730s and continued long after Acton became a separate town in 1735. Approximately 30 acres on both sides of Nashoba Brook with two acres of adjoining meadow were granted in 1728 to John Barker by the Concord Proprietors to set up a forge. This was the first industry in East Acton. About five years later, he added about 20 acres, so together his lands would have extended on both sides of Great Road (with a depth of about 600 feet) from Pope Road to about 750 feet north of the Concord and Great Roads intersection. The forge was located at or near the dam around the present location of 127 Concord Road. John Barker Jr.’s house stood just northwest of the Concord and Great Roads intersection. Acton’s first cemetery, later named Woodlawn, was established in 1737. The town purchased the land for it from Nathan Robbins, who took over much of the land that had been the Wheeler lease. In 1755, Mark White, Jr. received a license to establish a tavern on Great Road (274 Great Road) where official proprietors’ meetings and town meetings were frequently held. Around this time, the area around Nashoba Brook started to see more activity as the lands were divided. A series of meadow lots were set off to proprietors and farming became the primary activity in East Acton.

1775 - 1829

Joseph Robbins, Nathan’s son, a captain in the militia who lived on Concord Road (just east of Woodlawn cemetery) was instrumental in the formation of Massachusetts and the country. Furthermore, the first alarm in Acton that “the Regulars are coming” on April 19, 1775 was brought to Captain Robbins at his farmhouse, for which the foundation still exists, close to Concord Road. Captain Robbins rushed outside and fired three shots to signal to the Acton minutemen and militiamen to report to their captains’ homes. His 13-year-old son, John, then mounted a horse and rode off to notify Captain Isaac Davis and Captain Simon Hunt who led the Faulkner Company that day. Part of the minutemen’s and militiamen’s line of march to Concord followed Strawberry Hill Road. At the Robbins house site, there is a stone marker highlighting Captain Robbins and the first alarm given in Acton. The Line of March was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, as the Isaac Davis Trail.

In 1788, John Barker conveyed 12 acres of his land to Captain Joseph Robbins. Captain Robbins, and later his son and grandson, built and operated the sawmill near the dam on the west bank of Nashoba Brook. Not too long after the sale to Robbins, John Barker sold more of his land, and gave the remaining land to his son Samuel who ran a blacksmith shop on the property from approximately 1794 to 1812.

In the 1700s and 1800s, schools were located in different sections of Acton. The first school serving the East Acton area (and North Acton area) was built around 1796 and

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 32

located on Great Road near Davis Road. It is believed that the schoolhouse at one time had 80 pupils.

One of the Acton’s four “lottery houses” is located in East Acton (144 Great Road). The houses were called lottery houses because the money used to build them came from a winning ticket purchased by Acton resident Abel Conant and his neighbors in the Harvard University Lotteries of the 1790s. The lottery house at 144 Great Road was John Robbins’ house, the same John Robbins who as a boy, alerted the militia captains of the Regulars coming on April 19, 1775. The house was built in 1800. It was listed on the National Register in 2003.

In the late 1700s and early 1800s, “Groton Road” (which is known today as “Great Road”) was a major route west for mail, coach traffic, and cattle drovers. It was part of the Boston to Groton Stage, inaugurated in 1793 and contained many taverns and inns. In 1794, Daniel White, tavern owner Mark White’s Jr.’s son, opened a tavern/inn at what is now Nagog Woods (across from 514 Great Road). Its original name was Pond Tavern, but it later became known as the Lake Nagog Inn. Lake Nagog Inn was very successful and was a summer retreat for Bostonians for many years. In 1803, Edward Wetherbee opened a tavern/inn and stagecoach stop (65 Great Road). The tavern’s ownership switched hands a few times in the mid-late 1800s, but lasted until 1889. According to the 1890 History of Middlesex County (Hurd), Wetherbee’s Tavern was known to the Canada line as a “temporary Mecca of drovers and drivers of baggage- wagons for more than half a century preceding the advent of railroads.” In 1828, Mark White’s Tavern closed permanently (it had been operating since 1756, although it is unclear whether between 1773 and 1790 it was being used as a tavern/inn as no license records exist). In that same year James Hapgood’s Tavern opened (162 Great Road). The White’s Tavern building is no longer at 274 Great Road, but the Hapgood’s Tavern building still exists at 162 Great Road. It was said (but never confirmed) that Hapgood’s Tavern and Wetherbee’s Tavern were stops on the Underground Railroad.

1830 - 1869

In 1840, Captain Joseph Robbins’ grandson, Elbridge, conveyed 11 acres to Daniel Wetherbee with the rights to take water from the sawmill pond to run a gristmill (at the present location of 94 Great Road). The gristmill was built that year along with a canal whose water fed the mill’s machinery. In 1850, Daniel Wetherbee opened a general store at or near his tavern/farmhouse at 65 Great Road. By 1856 he had added a plaster mill to his operations on the brook, and the core of East Acton Village subsequently was known for a time as “Wetherbee’s Mills.” Around 1881, Daniel Wetherbee expanded his mills again by purchasing the Robbins sawmill.

In the 1840s, East Acton and North Acton received their own schoolhouses. The East Acton schoolhouse was built out of brick, could hold up to 50 pupils, and was located on Strawberry Hill Road near the Great Road intersection. That schoolhouse was then followed by a one room wooden schoolhouse built in 1870 near present-day 199 Great Road.

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 33

1870 - 1914

In 1871-1872, the Lowell and Framingham Railroad (later known as the “Framingham and Lowell” Railroad) was extended from Concord along Nashoba Brook to North Acton due largely to the efforts of Daniel Wetherbee. As a mill owner, he knew the importance of being able to ship his flour, grain, and plaster by rail, and had a spur line built from the rail tracks to his mill yard. The Nashua, Acton, and Boston Railroad also shared the tracks with the Lowell and Framingham Railroad. The railroads dramatically increased East Acton’s farmers’ accessibility to regional markets. The tracks ran through the farmstead of the Robbins Farm at 144 Great Road, for instance, which was then the second largest farm in Acton. During the 1870s Elbridge Robbins expanded from dairying into large-scale orcharding and market gardening, and became a major regional cattle broker. An East Acton railroad station was built and the railroad was open to passenger and freight traffic. The original railroad station was destroyed by fire in 1874 and the freight shed was then moved onto the depot foundation to serve as a second station (see Figure 1). The stations were located at the northwest corner of the present day Concord and Great Roads intersection (the site of the proposed EAV Green). In the early 1890s, the railroad company became part of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. In 1895, a second track was built adjacent to the first solely for the Nashua, Acton and Boston Railroad.

The State Prison in West Concord was also constructed around this time. It opened a half-mile southeast of East Acton in 1878, and was converted to the Massachusetts Reformatory for Men in 1884. Both the railroad and the prison/reformatory stimulated nearby businesses and led to a need for additional housing in the immediate area. Over the 1870s the small village that had developed around the Wetherbee businesses and mills expanded, and East Acton got its own post office. Residents originally wanted the post office to be called Elmwood, but the name conflicted with an existing village. “Ellsworth” was then chosen as a compromise. In 1873, the Ellsworth post office was established and the area started to be called Ellsworth Village. Later, more confusion resulted because there was an Ellsworth in Massachusetts and an Ellsworth in Maine, so in 1885 the post office name was changed to East Acton. The East Acton post office closed in 1910. Mail was delivered to this area from the Concord Junction post office.

In the late nineteenth century, wholesale and retail dealers sold items in East Acton Village such as flour, grain, oil, various kinds of meal, coffee and tea, spices, shorts, boots and shoes, crockery ware, farming tools, plaster, etc. While the local production of corn and grain declined, East Acton farmers shipped milk and apples, along with cucumbers, asparagus, strawberries and other produce. Elbridge Robbins, followed by his son, Chauncy, traded in cows and cattle, and Chauncy’s brother Webster Robbins, raised and dealt in both cattle and horses at the former Wetherbee Farm at 65 Great Road. It was also during this period that a few families of Irish immigrants settled in East Acton. In the late 1880s, Daniel McCarthy was farming on the southwest part of Hosmer Street, and Patrick Keefe, for whose family Keefe Road is named, had a farm in the south part of the village. Members of the extended O’Neil family came to Acton by

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 34

the mid-1860s. Patrick O’Neil lived on Wetherbee Street, and other members of the extended O’Neil family eventually settled nearby, and on Esterbrook Road.

The sawmill disappeared by 1900 (after more than 100 years in business). Around 1902, the gristmill operation ended and the building was used to grind talc until 1910. The Wetherbee mill property switched hands numerous times until around 1919. The East Acton schoolhouse also closed around this time (1897) and was consolidated with the Center district. According to the Acton Business Directory from 1902, however, East Acton was still an active place and contained many other commercial and industrial enterprises. Some of the businesses and businessmen located in East Acton in 1902 included a blacksmith, cattle dealer, an express company, fish seller, ice dealer (hence the name, “Ice House Pond”), two Justices of the Peace, a realtor, market gardeners, milk dealers, a painter, and a wheelwright.

1915 - 1949

In the 1900s, regional autohighways started to be constructed along the Colonial roads. Great Road was one of these autohighways and in the 1930s it became part of Massachusetts Route 2, the main east-west autoroute across the state, which later attracted tourists as the scenic Mohawk Trail. The popularity of the motorcar demanded better roads and Great Road was altered, straightened and widened. This occurred about 1940 and the road has remained about the same width since that time. In East Acton Village, the road takings also eliminated the triangle that once existed between the former railroad depot and Bursaw Gas & Oil (the site of a previous East Acton Village green, see Figure 2). Landowners took advantage of the motorcar and obtained licenses to dispense gasoline. The Gallaghers constructed the filling station at 50 Great Road and the Bursaws built on the former Wetherbee Mill site in the early 1930s.

Sandwich shops, candy stores, and other restaurants joined the remaining earlier taverns and inns to service the tourist traffic. “The Cup” restaurant appeared at 132 Great Road, the “Crow’s Nest” at 171 Great Road, and the “Strawberry Hill House” restaurant at 4 Strawberry Hill Road. The site of Wetherbee’s Tavern (65 Great Road) which had closed in 1889, reopened as the Red Robin Inn after 1917, operating for some time until the 1930s. Lake Nagog Inn was also a popular stop or destination along the route. After 135 years in business, it closed its doors in 1929 and was later demolished in 1970 to make way for a condominium development (Nagog Woods).

During this same period East Acton’s farmers found a new market in the automobile travelers, and opened small farm stands close to the road along Great Road/Route 2. Ads for many of these can be found in the Acton Agricultural Fair premium lists of the time. The last remaining stands, at the Jensen-DiDuca Farm at 145 Great Road, were torn down in 2001 to make way for a shopping mall (Brookside Shops).

On November 26, 1938, the East Acton railroad station closed. During its existence, the stations and two sets of tracks saw much rail traffic. The two railroads made for four booming early twentieth-century businesses in North and East Acton: ice, quarried

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 35

stone, cucumbers, and hoops. The Brooks family on the corner of Strawberry Hill and Great Roads produced thousands of hoops. Hoops are strips of birch used to make citrus fruit crates. Tons of hoops were shipped to Florida. Freight trains continued to travel on the tracks into the 1980s. Ice was cut from Ice House Pond and shipped out by rail in the last quarter of the nineteenth century by ice dealer Freeman Robbins. The business grew larger in the first quarter of the twentieth century under the Concord Ice Company, whose longtime proprietor, John Forbes, relocated to Acton in about 1927. He maintained both the ice house on the west bank of the pond and a small farm with a shingled farmhouse, barn, and chicken coop at 116 Concord Road. The ice house, which operated into the late1950s, is gone, but the farmstead and open pastures remain, now owned by the Town of Acton.

Another interesting and/or unique business operation on Nashoba Brook in the 1900s in East Acton took advantage of the technological advances of the early modern age. In 1920, Nelson H. Tenney built a hydroelectric plant on the former Robbins/Wetherbee saw mill site in an attempt to use the waterpower to provide Acton with inexpensive electricity. During his lifetime, Tenney was constantly involved with keeping the mechanical portion of Acton in repair. Steam gauges with the Tenney name were a common basement item of the single pipe systems that he installed. In 1945, however, Tenney’s hydroelectric plant was converted into a residence. During the same time as the plant, a more familiar name and business to present day Actonians came into being. Bursaw Oil Company obtained the former Wetherbee gristmill site and began operations in the 1930s, originally providing gasoline for automobiles and later heating oil for the modern furnaces that were rapidly replacing coal-fired boilers.

1950 +

In 1950, the new Route 2 was constructed. Great Road then became Massachusetts Route 2A. East Acton declined as a tourist area and place of manufacturing, and evolved into primarily a retail area. However, manufacturing remained a smaller active part of the area’s economy. Acorn Structures began in the mid 1950s and continued operations into the 1990s (moving eventually to North Acton). Cavalier Welding on Wetherbee Street is still in operation today.

Single-family residential construction progressed slowly along the Great Road corridor. Several small Cape Cod cottages were built on the southwest side of the road on small lots divided out between the street and the railroad. The late twentieth-century residential building boom began in the1950s. Acton adopted its first voted zoning bylaw in 1953. The second of Acton’s large subdivisions, Robbins Park, was developed by Jenks Homes on the old Wheeler-Robbins farmland south of Concord Road and east of Hosmer Street in the late 1950s to early 1960s. Apartment complexes appeared along Great Road during the 1960s, precipitating a zoning change in the mid 1970s outlawing their construction. During the late 1980s many of these were converted to condominiums. As part of the Master Plan in 1990, the apartment and condominium properties were rezoned from commercial to a new multi-family district to preserve the multi-family housing stock.

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 36

In spite of ever increasing development pressures, farming and agricultural-related activities continued in the East Acton area through the end of the twentieth century. The Forbes Farm on Concord Road, under its mid-century owners, the Morrisons, was a small horse farm until it was purchased by the town in 1997. Horses and other livestock still graze on large properties on Esterbrook Road. At the south end of Wetherbee Street at Massachusetts Avenue/Route 2, the old Farrar and Wright-Holden farm fields are still planted to hay and corn and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts maintains its State Police horse barn behind the early nineteenth-century Holden Farmhouse. Farming continued on Great Road itself in East Acton until the end of the century on the east portion of the old John Robbins farm, where Scandinavian immigrants Christian and Edith Jensen had built their 1929 farmstead at 145 Great Road, and Concetta and Vincent DiDuca grew fields of corn until the late 1990s.

East Acton Village Historic Resources - Draft Proposed List, January 25, 2004

The following list includes buildings, structures, objects, cemeteries, historic landscapes, and sites in the East Acton Village planning area dating to before ca. 1950. Significant outbuildings such as barns or early garages are indented under the main entry for the property. The dates which accompany most of those are estimates based on a visual assessment.

There may be more buildings in the area that were built in the 1930s or 1940s. These can be difficult to distinguish by eye, as some are in a style or form that continued into the 1950s and beyond. More research, including information contributed by longtime Acton residents, may clarify which ones these are.

Properties which are documented on inventory forms as part of Acton’s survey and inventory of historic and cultural resources have assigned numbers as part of the state historic survey database maintained by the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC). The MHC survey form number (“form #”) is shown in the last column. National Register (NR) designations are shown there as well.

Historically significant resources located in the East Acton Village Zoning District are highlighted in bold typeface.

Historically significant resources which are no longer in the area due to demolition or removal are shown in parentheses: [ ].

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 37

EAST ACTON VILLAGE HISTORIC RESOURCES (draft proposed list, January 25, 2004) Tax Map - form Address Historic name Date Form, style, or type Parcel #

Concord Road

Woodlawn Cemetery/ 1737 cemetery F4-31, 32, 33 -- East Burial Ground Woodlawn Chapel 1938 stone Gothic Hearse House early 20th C. utilitarian Joseph Robbins marker ca. 1930s boulder monument Joseph Robbins house foundation mid-18th C. archaeological site

116 Edward Forbes Farm/ ca. 1930 farmstead with house, out- F4-34 -- Morrison Farm buildings, agricultural landscape causeway for Robbins farm ca. early 19th C. stone-lined causeway and -- bridge bridge abutments----

--- Ice House Pond 1797 mill pond G4-27 -- Icehouse foundations early 20th C. concrete ruins --

127 Foundations of Robbins saw- ca. 1788 foundations under G4-49 -- mill & Tenney hydro-plant 20th C. house Stuart Allen House ca. 1920/1946 hydro-plant shed converted to house Tenney dam ca. 1920 concrete dam --

--- site of E. Acton depot early 1870s and later site G4-211 --

corner of Concord granite signpost late 19th C. granite post -- & Great Road

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 38

EAST ACTON VILLAGE HISTORIC RESOURCES (draft proposed list, January 25, 2004) Tax Map - form Address Historic name Date Form, style, or type Parcel #

Esterbrook Road

29 Jonathan Billings, Jr. House, ca. 1801 Federal Cape Cod cottage F5-26 73 barn

41 J. Billings/Esterbrook House ca. 1736 Colonial center-chimney, F5-24 74 barn 2-story house

65 “Estabrook Place:” house, 1856-1864 2 ½-s. house F5-15 75 two barns

73 George H. Brooks House mid-late 1880s 2-s. side-gabled house F5-5 76

85 Alden Flagg House 1920s Dutch Colonial E5-36 77

Great Road

2 Wetherbee rental house ca. 1885 sidehall entry Italianate G5-88 57

6 Wetherbee rental house ca. 1885 sidehall entry Italianate G5-87 56

7 Henry Chandler House 1880s sidehall-entry Italianate G5-84 55

19 William Dunn House ca. 1875-1885 sidehall-entry Italianate G5-80 54

29 ca. 1875-1885 sidehall entry Italianate G5-78 53

35 Capt. Luke J. Robbins House ca. 1876 Italianate G5-77 52

36 converted barn ca. 1890 &/or 1930s utilitarian, altered to G5-79 -- restaurant

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 39

EAST ACTON VILLAGE HISTORIC RESOURCES (draft proposed list, January 25, 2004) Tax Map - form Address Historic name Date Form, style, or type Parcel #

Great Road, cont.

38 Michael Hayes House ca. 1890s 2-s. Victorian vernacular G5-79 51

50 Gallagher’s Garage/ ca. 1928 utilitarian concrete-block G5-70 -- filling station repair garage

52 Reed House 3rd quarter 19th C. 1 ½-s sidehall-entry G5-70 50

54 James E. Billings House mid-1880s sidehall-entry Italianate G5-66 49

56 James/Luther Billings House ca. 1870 “ “ “ G5-62 639

60/62 Isaac W. Flagg House early 1870s sidehall-entry Italianate G5-57 48 (may incorporate 1850 store) with attached carriage house

65 Wetherbee Tavern/E. &. D. 1802 Federal G5-46 47 Wetherbee House

[75 Dudley/Prescott/Wetherbee House 18th C. Georgian/Federal G5-8-1 19] -- moved to 93 Harris Street ca. 1970

83 Williams House 1870s sidehall-entry Italianate G4-94 46

93 Jonas K. Putney House 1876 sidehall-entry Italianate G4-93 45

94 Bursaw Oil Co. late 1930s 1-s. utilitarian G4-122 --

103 D. James Wetherbee House 1873 sidehall-entry Italianate G4-50 44

107 Arthur Raynor House ca. 1910 Craftsman bungalow G4-28-1 --

---- E. part of East Acton depot site early 1870s & later site G4-212 --

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 40

EAST ACTON VILLAGE HISTORIC RESOURCES (draft proposed list, January 25, 2004) Tax Map - form Address Historic name Date Form, style, or type Parcel #

Great Road, cont.

126 Daniel Harris House ca. 1830s or earlier 1-s. side-gabled cottage G4-10 --

[127 Harris-Farrar House 19th C. 2-story house F4-69 --] --demolished 1990s

132 The Cup Restaurant 1930s 1-story restaurant F4-67-1 --

144 John Robbins House 1800 Georgian/Federal F4-35-2 41; National Register form

[145 Jensen Farm 1929 Dutch Colonial house and F4-37 --] --demolished 2001 farmstead

160 David Davis (Calvin Heywood) ca. 1775 Georgian F4-11-7 40 House

162 James Billing(s) House/ 1787-88 Late Georgian F4-11-6 39 Hapgood Tavern center-chimney

199 (193) Simon Davis, Jr. House ca. 1748 Georgian center-chimney F4-4 626

Hosmer Street

corner of Hosmer granite signpost late 19th C. granite post -- St. & Mass. Ave.

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 41

EAST ACTON VILLAGE HISTORIC RESOURCES (draft proposed list, January 25, 2004) Tax Map - form Address Historic name Date Form, style, or type Parcel #

Keefe Road cont.

1 Patrick Keefe House late 19th C. cross-gabled late Victorian G5-83 --

19 Jenney Bros. repair garage ca. 1946 concrete-block garage G5-90 --

25 D. Harris House late 19th C. sidehall-entry vernacular G5-93 --

Pope Road

7 former E. Acton post-office ca. 1910 craftsman bungalow G5-42 --

32 2nd quarter 20th C. expanded Cape Cod cottage G5-10 --

39 1899 and later enlarged cabin G5-11 --

corner of Pope & granite signpost late 19th C. granite post -- Strawberry Hill Rd.

276 John Heywood House ca. 1750 center-chimney colonial E6-9 64 attached barn mid-late 19th C. New England barn 1-s. outbuilding early 20th C. equipment or livestock shed

304 Addison Wheeler House early 19th C. “story and a half” cottage E6-11 66 barn mid-late 19th C. New England barn

328 Nathaniel Edwards House 1750 center-chimney saltbox E6-6-6 67 barn mid-late 19th C. New England barn

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 42

EAST ACTON VILLAGE HISTORIC RESOURCES (draft proposed list, January 25, 2004) Tax Map - form Address Historic name Date Form, style, or type Parcel #

Strawberry Hill Road The line of Strawberry Hill Road is listed on the National Register as part of the Isaac Davis Trail. NR form

4 W. Billings/H. Brooks House ca. 1841 former Greek Revival E5-20-1 --

5 Davis-Tuttle rental house/ ca. 1792 Federal 1-s. cottage E4-61 -- A. Chaffin/S. Conant House

7 Brown-Murphy House early 20th C. Colonial Revival E4-62 -- Cape Cod cottage

13 Brown Cottage early 20th C. Colonial Revival E5-28 -- Cape Cod cottage

30 former E. Acton Schoolhouse 1849 brick vernacular E5-21 --

[77 Benjamin Brabrook House ca. 1751 gambrel-roofed colonial 636] --burned, 1987

105 Hapgood (?) barn 19th C. English barn E5-16-1 -- Bowen garage early 20th C. utilitarian

108 Ens. Mark White/S. & B. ca. 1750 Colonial 2 ½-S., E5-16 69 Hapgood House center-chimney

127 S. Brooks/N. Brooks House/ ca. 1773 Georgian F5-12 637 “Stoneymeade Farm” carriage house late 19th-C. utilitarian

135 Davis/Pope outbuildings late 19th/early 20th C. utilitarian F5-12-5 637 Pope employee cottages early 20th C. astylistic

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 43

EAST ACTON VILLAGE HISTORIC RESOURCES (draft proposed list, January 25, 2004) Tax Map - form Address Historic name Date Form, style, or type Parcel #

Wetherbee Street

21 O’Neil House ca. 1892 or earlier may incorporate relocated G4-177 -- blacksmith shop

32 (34) D. Wetherbee rental house mid- or late- 19h C. 2-story rear-chimney house G4-208 -- barn late 19th C.

36 Clifford/Clinton House ca. 1870s astylistic 2-s. house G4-191 --

40 Patrick O’Neil House ca. 1870s astylistic G4-192 --

--- former agricultural landscape wooded, open land G4-174 --

--- Farrar farmland mid-19th C. large tilled field and woods G4-173 -- foundations of Farrar house or barn “ “ archaeological site

50 Wright-Holden House ca. 1830 Federal G4-209 170 (15 Mass. Ave.) carriage house late 19th C. (?) agricultural landscape open field and woods G4-173 --

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 44

Figure 1. East Acton Rail Station (c. 1909)

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 45

Figure 2. East Acton Village Green (pre-1938)

Chapter 1 – History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area Page 46

CHAPTER 2 : EXISTING CONDITIONS

The East Acton Village (EAV) Planning Area

The East Acton Village Planning Committee (EAVPC) focused primarily on the East Acton Village (EAV) zoning district, but also took into consideration and studied the East Acton Village planning area (EAV planning area). Map 1 shows the location of the EAV Zoning District and the EAV planning area.

The EAV Zoning District is located along both sides of Great Road (Route 2A/119) from the Concord town line to just beyond Concord Road. It is just over one half mile long and comprises about 26 acres. The EAV Zoning District does not include any apartment or condominium complexes. The apartments and condominiums in the area are zoned Residence A (R-A), but were still reviewed and considered as part of the planning process. Most zoning changes recommended later in this plan are for just the EAV Zoning District.

The EAV planning area includes the EAV Zoning District and surrounding neighborhoods. Its boundaries are Route 2 to the south, Hosmer Street to the west, Strawberry Hill Road to the north, and the Concord town line to the east. The area contains approximately 1,200 acres or 1.875 square miles.

Topography and Soils

The EAV planning area consists of rolling hills with lower areas near Nashoba Brook. Soils in the EAV planning area vary greatly. In East Acton Village, the primary soils are Merrimac-Urban Land Complex, Windsor Loamy Sand, and Charlton-Hollis-Rock Outcrop Complex (see Map 2). For an explanation of these soils, see the definition portion of the Middlesex County Massachusetts Interim Soil Survey Report in Appendix J.

Groundwater

Acton residents rely on ground water for their drinking water. In order to protect Acton’s drinking water supply, the Town has established through the Zoning Bylaw the Groundwater Protection District overlay. The Groundwater Protection District is divided into four zones, based on their proximity to present and future drinking water supply wells. Zone 1 is closest to the wells and most restrictive. Zone 4 is the furthest away from the wells and least restrictive. East Acton Village is located mainly in Groundwater Protection District Zone 3. The north end of the village (tax map G4, parcels 50, 28-1, and 28) is located in Groundwater Protection District Zone 4. Certain uses and activities are prohibited in Groundwater Protection District Zone 3 (in addition to the land uses prohibited in the Table of Principal Uses of the Zoning Bylaw) such as solid waste disposal sites; underground storage of hazardous materials; chemical, bacteriological, biological, or radiological laboratories; and some subsurface disposal of wastewater

Chapter 2 – Existing Conditions Page 47

effluent. For a list of the other prohibited uses and activities, please see Acton Zoning Bylaw Table 4.3.7.2.

Surface Water

Nashoba Brook runs along the southwest side of Great Road through EAV. Ice House Pond (fed by Nashoba Brook) is also located in the EAV planning area at the intersection of Concord and Great Roads. Map 6 in Chapter 4 shows Nashoba Brook running through EAV and Ice House Pond. Nashoba Brook and Ice House Pond provide recreational opportunities for people and habitat for wildlife, but also limit what owners can do with their property. For more information on Nashoba Brook and Ice House Pond, please refer to Goal 1 of Chapter 6: Environment, Open Space and Recreation.

Drainage and Stormwater Runoff

Map 3 shows all the drainage basins in the EAV planning area. “NB” on the map stands for Nashoba Brook. All of the drainage basins in the EAV planning area except for two ultimately drain into Nashoba Brook. NB-4E and NB-4F basins drain into Spencer Brook in Concord. East Acton Village (EAV) Zoning District is primarily located in the NB-1A drainage basin. Only two properties in EAV Zoning District (tax map G4, parcels 28 and 28-1 – in the northeast corner of the village) are located in a different basin: NB- 1B. Some areas of East Acton Village occasionally have problems with stormwater runoff. There have been reports of water pooling and high water levels, especially in the spring.

Wetlands and Floodplain

Significant portions of village properties on the southwest side of Great Road are within the boundaries of delineated wetlands and floodplain along Nashoba Brook. There are also significant wetlands behind structures that line Esterbrook Road and some large areas along Pope Road. In East Acton Village, the wetlands buffer area, based on the Town of Acton Wetlands Bylaw, in some instances extends as far as Great Road (see Map 4).

Vernal Pools

According to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program website, “vernal pools are unique wildlife habitats best known for the amphibians and invertebrate animals that use them to breed…The Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program “certifies” the occurrence of vernal pools based on documentation of the pool’s use by one or more groups of species that rely on vernal pools…Official certification provides a vernal pool, and up to 100 feet

Chapter 2 – Existing Conditions Page 48

beyond its boundary in some cases, certain protection under several state and federal laws.”2

There is one certified vernal pool within the EAV planning area. It is located on the Wetherbee Conservation Land (see “Conservation Land” below). For more information regarding this vernal pool or others in Acton, contact the Acton Natural Resources Department.

Wildlife

The Ice House Pond basin is a corridor for white-tailed deer, coyote, red fox and fisher. More permanent residents include Canada geese, wood ducks, mallards, muskrat and beaver. River otters, opossum, turkeys, minks, and several species of turtle, snake, frog, and fish also live in and around the pond. Over one hundred bird species have been seen from the Concord Road dam. South of Ice House Pond, toward Route 2, nesting bluebirds can be found in the appropriate season.

Endangered Species

There are no known State-listed endangered species in the EAV planning area. A State-listed threatened species has been identified in the EAV planning area on the Wetherbee Conservation Land (see “Conservation Land” below): the Vesper sparrow. In addition, two or three breeding pairs of Savannah sparrows, which are unusual to see, have been observed on the Wetherbee Conservation Land for at least the last ten years. Savannah sparrows are not listed as endangered or threatened by the State, but their numbers have been dwindling over the last several years. For more information about these species, contact the Acton Natural Resources Department.

Scenic Roads

According to the Bylaws of the Town of Acton, Chapter J – Scenic Road Bylaw , the following roads in the EAV planning area have been designated by the Town of Acton as “Scenic Roads”:

· Concord Road · Esterbrook Road · Pope Road · Proctor Street · Spring Hill Road (only partially located in the EAV planning area) · Strawberry Hill Road

Any proposed work to be done to or along a Scenic Road that involves the cutting or removal of trees, or the destruction of stone walls, or portions thereof, would first need written approval from the Planning Board (after a public hearing).

2 Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, “Vernal Pools,” 11/15/02, , (16 December 2003)

Chapter 2 – Existing Conditions Page 49

Chapter 61, 61A, and 61B Lands

There are three land classification/tax programs in Massachusetts that involve the preservation and enhancement of certain lands: Massachusetts General Laws 61, 61A, and 61B. Chapter 61 encourages the preservation and enhancement of forest land. Chapter 61A encourages the preservation of valuable farmland and promotes active agricultural and horticultural land use. Chapter 61B encourages the preservation of valuable open space and promotes recreational land uses. These three programs offer tax benefits to property owners willing to make a long term commitment in one of these areas. In exchange for these benefits, the Town is given the right to recover some of the tax benefits when the land is removed from the program, and is given an option to purchase the property should the land be sold or used for other purposes. There are certain criteria that must be met and adhered to in order to qualify for each program.

There is one property in Chapter 61A and four properties in Chapter 61 in the EAV planning area. The Chapter 61A property is located at 145 Strawberry Hill Road near the Concord town line (tax map F5, parcel 12-6). The four properties in Chapter 61 are: 82 Strawberry Hill Road (tax map E5, parcel 15-1), between 54 and 68 Esterbrook Road (tax map F5, parcel 10-1), behind 35 Wetherbee Street (tax map G4, parcel 174), and 35 Wetherbee Street (tax map G4, parcel 189).

For more information about these programs or classifications, please contact the Acton Assessor’s Office.

Conservation Land

There are two pieces of Town conservation land within the EAV planning area: the Wetherbee Conservation Land and the Stoneymeade Conservation Land. The Wetherbee Conservation Land is 72 acres in size and is located on the northwest corner of Wetherbee Street and Route 2. The property includes active farm land, a small meadow, marshy habitat, a little stream, a collection-pool, and woods. The Stoneymeade Conservation Land encompasses 44.5 acres of fields, small streams, and woods. It is located off Stoneymeade Way which is off of Pope Road. The land is home to many species of birds and borders conservation land in the town of Concord.

For more information about these and other Acton conservation lands, please go to the Acton Conservation Commission’s Land Stewardship Committee website “www.town.acton.ma.us/LSCOM” or contact the Acton Natural Resources Department.

Zoning and Land Uses

The EAV Zoning District, like other Acton village zoning districts, encourages a mix of residential and non-residential land uses. Map 5 shows the location of the EAV Zoning District and surrounding zoning districts. Different types of smaller scale residential uses are encouraged in the village zoning district. Businesses that promote face to face

Chapter 2 – Existing Conditions Page 50

interaction between the customer and the business, and businesses that discourage automobile use, are also desirable. The Zoning Bylaw also limits business sizes in the village. These help facilitate walking, reduce reliance on driving and traffic, and allow more businesses in the village.

East Acton Village currently has several restaurants (take out and sit down), offices (insurance, realty, etc.), service businesses (salon, landscape contractor, medical/dental, electronics, home improvement, etc.), automobile businesses (gasoline, repair, detailing, car wash), arts and recreation places, and a variety of retail outlets (clothing, convenience goods, liquor, furniture, appliances, etc.). For a list of all uses in EAV and the surrounding area, please refer to the “East Acton Village Area Commercial Buildout” chart in Appendix F.

Buildout

In 2001/2002, the Acton Planning Department completed a buildout analysis of the EAV Zoning District (the village) and the surrounding zoning districts: SM (Small Manufacturing), LB (Limited Business), ARC (Agriculture, Recreation, Conservation), RA (Residence A), R2 (Residence 2), R8/4 (Residence 8/4), and R8 (Residence 8). The buildout analysis looked at the developable site area and existing floor areas of structures to determine the existing floor area ratio for each property. The EAV Zoning District currently has a maximum allowable floor area ratio (FAR) of 0.2 (up to 0.4 FAR if the transfer of development rights program (TDR) is utilized). Determining the FAR of each property and the area as a whole indicates how much more development can occur under current zoning. There are other limitations to buildout such as parking regulations, health requirements, federal, state, and local wetlands and rivers laws, the market, etc., that affect the development potential of property. Additionally, development is up to individual property owners. For these reasons, the maximum allowable FAR under the Zoning Bylaw may not be achieved. However, it is important to analyze the maximum development potential for planning purposes.

Based on the buildout analysis, as of November 2001, the EAV Zoning District was approximately 80% built out. Under current zoning, an additional 58,000 square feet of floor area could be built in the EAV Zoning District. The LB and SM zoning districts in the EAV area have very little opportunity for further development based on current zoning. Only about a maximum of 12,000 square feet of floor area remains to be built in the LB zoning district and 6,100 square feet maximum in the SM zoning district. As for residential zoning districts surrounding EAV, the R8/4 zoning district can accommodate the most additional housing under current zoning: approximately 30 residential units.

For more detailed information about buildout in the EAV Zoning District and surrounding area, please see the “East Acton Village Area Commercial Buildout” chart and the “East Acton Village Area Residential Buildout chart” and associated notes located in Appendix F.

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Map 1.

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Map 2.

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Map 3.

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Map 4.

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Map 5.

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CHAPTER 3: PLANNING EAST ACTON VILLAGE (EAV)

Why there is an East Acton Village (EAV) Plan

In 1990, the Town of Acton voted to adopt the Goals and Objectives of the Acton Master Plan. In 1998, the Acton Master Plan Update was completed which reaffirmed the Acton Master Plan Goals and Objectives. One of the objectives of the Acton Master Plan and Master Plan Update was to develop plans for each of Acton’s villages: West Acton Village (WAV), South Acton Village (SAV), East Acton Village (EAV), and North Acton Village (NAV). Village plans have been created for West Acton Village and South Acton Village, and a plan has been made for Kelley’s Corner (one of Acton’s business centers). East Acton Village was next. In December, 1995 a team of students from MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning generated “East Acton Village Plan: A Report of the MIT Planning team to the Town of Acton” (see Reference 2). Some of their recommendations presaged the contents of this document.

In fall 2000, the Acton Board of Selectmen appointed a group of citizen volunteers to create a plan for East Acton Village (EAV). The group was called the East Acton Village Planning Committee (EAVPC) and it consisted of residents, property and business owners, and representatives from the Acton Planning Board and Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC). The EAVPC was assisted by the Town’s Planning Department staff. The EAVPC met at least twice a month since fall 2000 to work on the EAV Plan. The Committee was also divided into subcommittees: Education, EAV Green, Environment, Housing and Village Character, Survey, and Transportation and Infrastructure. The subcommittees were created to research the details of the topics they represented, and then presented their findings and draft recommendations to the committee as a whole. Subcommittees met almost as often as the whole committee in the last year of the planning process. The EAVPC’s work was guided by this research and also by feedback they received at four additional public input meetings and from two surveys they conducted (see summary below or Appendix G for public input meeting notes and Appendix H for survey questions and detailed results).

How the EAV Plan Relates to Other Acton Plans

The Acton Master Plan and Master Plan Update provide a vision for the entire town and recommendations / guidance as to how the town as a whole has been planned and should grow. Each village plan and business center plan, including the EAV Plan, is an addendum to and consistent with the Master Plan and Master Plan Update. Village and business center plans are created to supply additional, more detailed information and guidance related to that section of town. All plans should be updated when parts of the plan become outdated or the direction of the Town has changed.

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The Planning Process

The EAV planning process included the following steps:

I. Data Collection A. Reviewed history B. Examined existing conditions 1. topography 2. natural resources 3. land uses 4. residences 5. businesses 6. recreation 7. transportation 8. public services and infrastructure C. Sought Public Input 1. Conducted surveys (see below) a. residents b. Town Meeting attendees c. property owners d. business owners 2. Held a visioning workshop (public input meeting) D. Hired a consultant to do an EAV Transportation Study 1. examined existing transportation conditions (traffic) 2. projected future transportation conditions and needs 3. asked for public input (public input meeting) 4. provided transportation recommendations for EAV E. Analyzed future conditions 1. completed a build-out analysis 2. assessed future transportation needs and traffic 3. reviewed land use trends 4. investigated future infrastructure needs II. Developed goals for East Acton Village III. Created objectives for East Acton Village based on the goals IV. Asked for public input (public input meeting) V. Produced strategies (specific action items) to implement the goals and objectives VI. Asked for public input (public input meeting) VII. Wrote the EAV Plan text VIII. Finalized the draft EAV Plan

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IX. Presented the draft EAV Plan to the Acton Planning Board for adoption X. Presented the final EAV Plan to the Acton Board of Selectmen XI. Presented zoning changes recommended in the EAV Plan to Town Meeting for approval

Surveys and Public Input Meetings

East Acton Village Residential and Town Meeting Survey

A residential survey was mailed to 753 residences in the East Acton area in March/April 2001. Approximately 450 were also distributed at Annual Town Meeting of April 2001. The survey asked citizens for feedback on a number of issues related to the future development and vision for the East Acton Village (EAV) Zoning District. The goals of the survey were to:

· Assess the current uses of/satisfaction with East Acton Village; · Raise awareness of potential changes; · Obtain feedback on a vision for East Acton Village; · Identify potential zoning and other changes needed to enhance East Acton Village; and · Quantify and document needs and concerns.

234 surveys (64% of total) were completed and returned from the mailing. 131 surveys (36% of total) were completed by Town Meeting attendees. 365 surveys total were completed (a response rate of 30%).

Town Meeting attendees who already completed and returned a survey through the March/April 2001 mailing were asked not to complete another survey at Town Meeting.

East Acton Village Property Owner/Business Owner Survey

Likewise, a survey was mailed to 332 business owners and property owners in East Acton in August 2001. The survey asked business and property owners for feedback on a number of issues related to the future development and vision for the EAV Zoning District. The goals of the survey were identical to those of the Residential and Town Meeting survey.

46 surveys were completed and returned from the business and property owners (a response rate of 14%). The majority of Property/Business Owner survey respondents to the survey indicated that they live outside East Acton.

People who were business owners and property owners, people who were property owners and EAV homeowners, and people who owned multiple

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businesses or multiple properties, were only sent one survey (not multiple surveys).

The answers to the business and property owner survey, along with answers to the residential survey (March/April 2001), helped the EAVPC prepare recommendations and planning goals for future development in East Acton Village. Many of the same questions were asked on both the business and property owner survey and the residential survey.

Summary of the Surveys’ Findings

The respondents to both the Residential/Town Meeting and Property/Business Owners surveys agreed in many areas where the surveys overlapped. Both groups were interested in improving pedestrian access and general traffic safety in the EAV. Both supported the idea of improved aesthetics in the district. Increased open space and restaurants were popular for future uses in each of the surveys. Likewise, a majority of each of the surveys’ respondents supported a maximum business size of 10,000 square feet or less for new businesses. Finally, the surveys seemed to indicate mutual support for the concept of the proposed Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (BFRT). Please refer to Appendix H for survey questions and detailed results.

Public Input Meetings

Public meeting attendees’ ideas and concerns were similar to those expressed by survey respondents. To review what was presented and discussed at the public input meetings, see Appendix G.

The EAV Plan Format

East Acton’s history and existing conditions, along with results from the surveys and public input meetings, provided the foundation from which the following chapters were developed.

The next three chapters provide goals, objectives, and strategies for village character and housing; transportation and infrastructure; and environment, open space and recreation, in the EAV area. Each chapter presents the “goals” and “objectives”, the background / “issues” related to the goals and objectives, then the committee’s “recommendations” for how to address the goals and objectives. The recommendations are formatted as “strategies” or action items, and are provided in tables. Each table lists specifically every action that should be taken to achieve each goal and objective. Some strategies address multiple goals and objectives so are repeated in the table. If strategies require further explanation, they are described in an “implementation” section after the table. Commonly used terms, technical terms, and acronyms are defined in the “Acronyms List and Glossary” section at the beginning of the Plan.

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The last chapter of the EAV Plan describes other projects that are ongoing in the EAV planning area.

Strategies Tables Key

“Strategy Number” = Strategies have been numbered so they can be linked to plan goals and objectives. An example of the numbering format used is: “V1.2a*”. “V” represents it is a Village Character and Housing Goal (“T” would represent a Transportation and Infrastructure Goal “E” would represent an Environment, Open Space, & Recreation Goal) “1” represents the Village Character and Housing goal number “2” represents the related objective number “a” represents the related strategy letter “*” represents a regulation or bylaw change “Strategy” = The action to be taken to achieve the related goal and objective. “Appendix/Reference” = If the strategy involves a regulation or bylaw change, detailed graphics, or text from a publication, the legal information is located in the Appendix section listed. If the strategy relates to a separate study or report, the reference information for the other report is provided in the Reference section listed. The Appendices and Reference section are located at the end of the Plan. “Priority” = The EAVPC has prioritized each strategy with “high” being most important and “low” being the least important to the committee. “Approval Required?” = If approval is needed to implement the strategy, the approval agency or board has been listed. “BOS” represents the Board of Selectmen “PB” represents the Planning Board “TM” represents Town Meeting “Amount of Effort/Time” = The EAVPC has rated the effort involved (“minimal”, “medium”, “major”) and how much time it would take to implement each strategy. In some cases, the implementation of a strategy is dependent on the future actions of individual property owners or organizations, or should occur more than once, so there can be no firm amount of time to implement or completion date. In such cases, the “amount of time” and “desired completion date” are listed as “ongoing.” “Desired Completion Date” = Indicates when the strategy should be completed. “Person(s) Responsible” = The individuals, organizations, or agencies responsible for implementing the strategy.

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CHAPTER 4: VILLAGE CHARACTER AND HOUSING

Population centers have been a focus of development throughout history until around 1950 when, in the U.S., affluence and the automobile led to suburban development. The integration of land uses with stores, work and residences within walking distance or clustered around transportation nodes seemed no longer necessary. This has come at some social cost in terms of changing the character of communities and forcing people into automobiles to take care of basic convenience needs, leaving the elderly and people with disabilities all too often stranded in suburban isolation. Population centers are either vibrant or stagnant. It is the goal of this committee to establish a framework that will allow East Acton Village to be vibrant for the benefit of those living there and in the surrounding areas.

Results from surveys done in 2001 of Acton residents indicate that, to attract people to East Acton Village, there would need to be an improvement in “aesthetics” (the look of the area), an increase in the landscaping, and additional open space and parks. East Acton Village now consists of a busy vehicular artery with strip malls on each side. In order to create the atmosphere of an attractive and active village, which is the goal, incentives are required so that when redevelopment occurs, it will be compatible with the village environment envisioned by residents.

An important first step in attaining these goals is to make East Acton Village pedestrian friendly. Crossing Great Road is dangerous now and accommodations must be made for crossing the highway for pedestrians and bicyclists. Sidewalks and walkways connecting village destinations must be improved to allow the greatest possible number of surrounding residents to come without cars, and to be able to shop and return home in the safest manner possible. Once in the village, people need to have spaces to sit and relax; enjoy food and beverages; watch other people; meet friends, neighbors, and colleagues; and find respite from traffic and work in open, green spaces.

A critical mass is required. In order to encourage pedestrians to come, a variety of businesses must be present to meet their needs. At the same time, businesses require a sufficient customer base to remain viable. Businesses need signs that allow them to adequately inform passing motorists and pedestrians of their presence. They also need enough people living and working in the area to provide a steady stream of clients and customers. Also, by providing unique events, businesses can draw outside of the commuting and residential area to increase business opportunities. The village needs to provide space for these activities.

Acton is in line for continuing development as businesses and residents move out of the Greater Boston area and westward towards Route 495. In order to preserve what little remaining open, green space is still available in East Acton, it must be maintained wherever possible. As one enters East Acton on Route 2A from the rotary there is an area of land off Wetherbee Street that provides a rural backdrop for this community. This property has tree-covered hills and open space within walking distance of the

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village center and is surrounded by town conservation land with a potential rail trail. While property development is up to the landowner, the community would like to see as much of the open space surrounding EAV preserved as possible. Coming from the west along Great Road into East Acton Village, the EAV Planning Committee has recommended the establishment of a village green near the location of the old train depot and Ice House Pond. This area, on the corner of Great Road and Concord Road, provides another opportunity to preserve open, green space for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.

East Acton contains many historical structures dating from the turn of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. The Wetherbee Tavern (currently Phillips Glass et.al.) dates from the beginning of the nineteenth century and the Nashoba Tavern at the corner of Wetherbee Street and Route 2A was built at the end of the nineteenth century. Bursaw Gas and Oil was first built in the 1930s. Many of the single-family homes along Route 2A are from these same time periods. These buildings are an important part of the fabric of East Acton Village and should be preserved, or redeveloped in such a way that their basic architecture remains. New construction or reconstruction in the area could also be designed to more appropriately reflect the architecture of this time period.

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Goal V1: Reinforce community by creating a sustainable, memorable, shared experience connecting the full spectrum of the local population.

This goal can be elaborated by further defining the terms used: · Community: home, work, commerce, cultural and social fabric, support systems, and other elements of the human environment, which are created and used by the local population. Enhances citizenship, achievement, ethics, and public safety and mitigates alienation and intolerance. · Sustainable: capable of inexhaustibly (socially, financially, environmentally, etc.) furthering all aspects of this goal while adapting to the changing needs and makeup of this community. · Memorable: a unique place arising from a unique combination of circumstances, (i.e., the cultural, social, commercial, and other entities) and relationships, and their supporting environment that have accrued over time in response to the needs of this community. · Shared: communally, rather than individually, experienced. Public occurrences in public places where the full spectrum of this local populace and visitors can interact. · Connecting the full spectrum: accessible such that all participants – children, elderly, handicapped, singles, families, lower income, etc. – can independently take part in their daily activities and make the resulting social and business connections. · Local population: Only a village responds most intimately and holistically to these needs of the nearest workers and residents. From the full spectrum of the local working and living population come the constituents of this community.

A successful population center provides for the daily needs of its primary constituents, the population that pursues its daily activities in and around the East Acton Village area. These activities may include residing, working, studying, worshiping, governing, relaxing and playing, buying things, sending packages, using services, socializing, eating out, etc. For a village-sized center these are, to a large degree, satisfied by smaller shops and businesses primarily serving the local community. The above characteristics (see bullet points) are the timeless qualities of a successful village-sized center. This goal seeks to revive these factors through attracting needed providers and resources and helping them to prosper, and through strengthening positive qualities in the built environment.

East Acton Village (EAV) can be significantly more successful in fulfilling the role of a village serving the local community. Few of the characteristics bulleted above presently exist in any planned way in EAV. The existing design and location of buildings, structures, roads, etc. (the “built environment”) in EAV do not effectively support and respond to the needs of the local population or create a community feeling. In order to

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implement this vision, the EAV Planning Committee recommends the following objectives and strategies.

Objective 1: Enhance diversity of uses and users in a socially and economically sustainable manner. Objective 2: Integrate commercial, recreational, civic life around a community focal point. Objective 3: Enhance and promote a sense of “connectedness” between indoors and outdoors (i.e., the structure and its lot); among multiple structures/lots within the village; and between the village center and its surroundings.

Issues

All parcels in East Acton Village are developed to some degree at this time. Therefore, the process to create smart growth and to recreate village character will take time. Recommendations within this plan are long-term but contain incentives to try to expedite the changes.

While most of the village is currently surrounded by residential area, there are two areas that are now zoned Limited Business and Small Manufacturing. In order to protect the village from encroachment by non-village type business, the plan includes rezoning of these two areas to more compatible business uses.

Recommendations

Zoning and business incentives, design standards, and other public sector initiatives are the most effective ways to encourage the appropriate future development of the built environment and the cultural, social, and commercial relationships that would achieve this goal. The strategies proposed are all meant to achieve a “distinct village” concept for East Acton Village. The vision is of a vibrant business area with sufficient population to support the local businesses and business diversity to support the needs of the local residents. Included should be areas for townspeople to gather to meet, eat, rest and shop. Bringing town services (such as a mini-postal center, voter registration options, tax bill payment) as well as businesses to the village adds diversity. Social events, such as music festivals, food fairs, fund-raisers, attract more than local residents and bring potential customers to the area. With nearby water and trails available, advertising these opportunities will also bring customers and residents from other parts of town to the East Acton Village area.

The EAV Planning Committee recommends amending the Table of Principal Uses to provide for additional job-creating office and service businesses in and around EAV. Small educational/instructional services and commercial entertainment would enhance job potential. More nursing homes, trade shops, or gas stations would not provide the type of community business or jobs conducive to a pedestrian scale village. Business sizes will be limited under the allowed Maximum Floor Area chart in the Zoning Bylaw to

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discourage the large, regional businesses that create traffic problems and change the ambiance of the village.

To further expand the allowed uses in the Village, the committee would have liked to have included small scientific uses that would be least likely to endanger the environment. However, the Scientific Use category of Section 3 of the Zoning Bylaw includes many businesses that the Committee felt were inappropriate in an environmentally sensitive area such as EAV, with its proximity to Nashoba Brook. It is recommended that the Planning Board consider splitting the current Scientific Use category into two categories – Low Impact (those not likely to have an adverse environmental impact) and High Impact (those whose use of hazardous materials could be environmentally dangerous). If this change is made, the Low-Impact Scientific Use should be added to the Table of Principal Uses for EAV.

Villages require a level of residences near or around them in order to become and remain viable. Acton is concerned about the lack of affordable housing in the community. By providing for additional affordable dwelling units within or near the village the housing issues can be addressed, while allowing for more shoppers to keep the area vibrant during non-business hours. While the intent is to make the village a vibrant business center, a variety of residential units is also needed. The proximity of four large apartment complexes currently adds to the population density in the Village.

The importance of preserving the historic components of the village area is paramount. The structures built during the end of the nineteenth century or the beginning of the twentieth century will be used as the basis for the redevelopment process. These structures and the East Acton Village Green will become integrated parts of the recreated village. Also, these buildings set off East Acton Village from the current strip mall/mini-mall businesses and apartment complexes that have come to represent the rest of the Route 2A corridor. Sidewalks, interconnecting walkways and paths leading to and from surrounding neighborhoods, walk up food windows, plazas with fountains and compact parks will add to the character of EAV. They will also encourage people to leave their cars, making the area more pedestrian friendly and hopefully reducing traffic. The vision for East Acton Village reflects a place that is compact, historic, with business variety, easy access for customers and green space. Figure 3 shows one example of the vision for East Acton Village.

The factors that will achieve these goals will be implemented with the following strategies.

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Recommended Strategies for Village Character and Housing Goal V1

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount of Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required Effort Responsible Date Amend Table of Principal Uses in Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to allow appropriately scaled V1.1a Appendix A – Moderate, recreational, educational, commercial High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * Articles D & G 2 months entertainment, and additional business types and prohibit more gas stations, nursing homes and trade shops. Establish an informal organization EAVPC, Local (EAVO) consisting of local residents, Moderate, Businesses, V1.1b business owners, and property owners High 2004 2 months Property to monitor and promote the Goals and Owners Objectives of the EAV Plan. Encourage campaigns to increase Moderate, V1.1c recognition, patronage, and community Low 1 year, Ongoing EAVO involvement of village businesses. ongoing Moderate, V1.1d Produce an EAV business directory. Low 2006 EAVO 1 year Establish cultural and public service Major, 1 2006, V1.1e Medium BOS BOS, EAVO presence in the village. year ongoing Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to include “Special V1.2a Provisions for East Acton Village” Appendix A – PB, BOS, Moderate, High Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * design standards to help developers Article G TM 2 months understand the vision for East Acton Village.

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Recommended Strategies for Village Character and Housing Goal V1 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount of Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required Effort Responsible Date Highway, Establish, construct and continually Major, 2 2004, Municipal V1.2b High Appendix D BOS enhance the East Acton Village Green. years ongoing Properties, volunteers Natural Resources, Construct the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail BOS, TM, Major, 5 V1.2c High Appendix E 2009 BFRT (BFRT). EOTC years construction contractor Amend Dimensional Requirements for V1.2d Appendix A – PB, BOS, Moderate, the EAV Zoning District to decrease High Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * Article E TM 2 months minimum setbacks. Amend Dimensional Requirements for V1.3a Appendix A – PB, BOS, Moderate, the EAV Zoning District to decrease High Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * Article E TM 2 months minimum setbacks. Transportation Highway, and Major, 2-3 2004, MassHighway, V1.3b Augment existing sidewalk network. Medium BOS Infrastructure years Ongoing Property Chapter Owners Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to include “Special V1.3c Provisions for East Acton Village” Appendix A – PB, BOS, Moderate, High Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * design standards to help developers Article G TM 2 months understand the vision for East Acton Village.

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Implementation

Create an organization of volunteers made up of residents, business owners, property owners and other interested parties which would act in a supporting role for the business and residential community. It could be called the East Acton Village Organization (EAVO). Some of the tasks recommended include: · Establish a campaign to increase recognition, patronage, and community involvement of village businesses through incentives such as preferred town vendor classification, and/or public relations (marketing, community events, sponsorship of sports or other community activities, etc.). · Create a business directory with descriptions of types of services, products, et al to be displayed at EAV businesses, distributed to residents, put in the local newspapers, etc. · Establish cultural and public service presence in the village through, for some examples, local municipal office hours, installation of satellite library branches, or relocation of town/public facilities (e.g., performance space, branch library, Town Clerk’s desk, mailboxes, meeting/function rooms, elected official’s office), possibly ranging from mobile carts/booths to small leased or donated indoor or outdoor spaces or larger. · Conduct a “Learn about your Town” event each fall in the village with each Town department and committee represented to talk to residents. · Create foot/bike paths to and between surrounding neighborhoods and to close and useful destinations such as the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (BFRT) and Brookside Mall. · Explore public-private funding opportunities when necessary. · Coordinate with other town bodies to encourage the use of Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs), as described in goal 4 of this chapter and goal 1 of the Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Chapter (Chapter 6) below. · Periodically review the TDR process and make recommendations for change to guarantee that TDRs are having the desired effect

Using A Pattern Language 3 (see Appendix K) as the philosophical basis for making East Acton Village more successful in fulfilling the role of village center for its constituents, strategies were chosen from the several patterns proposed by these authors. The ones delineated in objectives two and three deal with those issues thought to be most important as they relate to East Acton Village. Objective 2 relates to activity focal points in order to integrate recreational and other activities within the village. Objective 3 solutions come from the suggestion by the authors to enhance the connection between and among focal points with public corridors. “The Special Provisions Design Standards” for EAV integrate these solutions.

3 Oxford University Press, (1977) by Alexander, Ishikawa, Silverstein, et al

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Figure 3. – An Example of a New England Village Streetscape

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Goal V2: Preserve East Acton Village’s historic, cultural and recreational resources.

Objective 1: Research, locate, and document historical buildings and structures in order to preserve them. Objective 2: Encourage the preservation, maintenance, and restoration of historically or architecturally significant structures and places. Objective 3: Support cultural and recreational events, places and opportunities. Objective 4: Encourage restoration/preservation of existing common spaces and public lands for shared community experiences.

Issues

The cultural history represented by a typical village is worthy of protection. Historic and architectural resources are often the best evidence of that heritage. In addition to providing cultural and educational benefits, these assets can also enhance property values, increase local pride and bolster economic development. Without the knowledge of which houses are worthy of protection, there is the chance that some very important architectural resources will be lost.

Preservation and fostering the characteristics that set the East Acton Village area apart from the more “strip like” development along the rest of Route 2A in Acton is of great importance. East Acton Village contains some structures and places that reflect the history and development of the village. These structures and places add character to the village, but they are threatened because Route 2A is a major commuter route and there is pressure to develop “strip like” retail centers along the roadway.

A village is more than a physical setting; it is a community of people, businesses and visitors. Areas are required for getting people together for community based activities. These areas can be formal or informal / public or private. Activities may range from passive recreation (spaces to sit and read) to formal events (seasonal fairs or musicians). They can be publicly or privately owned. According to the EAV surveys done in 2001, more of these areas are needed in East Acton Village.

Recommendations

Before preservation can occur the Town and townspeople need to know which buildings and structures are historically significant. While the Town has added a number of East Acton Village structures to its Cultural Resource List, there is still a lot of information that is not readily available on the structures in this area. The Massachusetts Historical Commission provides forms to help communities determine the historical significance of structures, landmarks, etc. within its borders. The Acton Historical Commission and proposed EAV Organization are urged to take the time to research the East Acton Village area to identify all historically, architecturally, and culturally significant resources. Once this information is available, then a study should be conducted to determine if

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additional preservation measures should be taken and if so, what those measures should be. Additional preservations methods may include: pursuing the nomination of certain structures into the National Register Program, establishing a neighborhood conservation district, and applying for Community Preservation Act funds for the preservation of specific resources, et al. Noting the history of East Acton’s structures, landmarks, etc. will also be helpful to all Acton residents.

The Committee urges the Board of Selectmen to consult with the Acton Historical Commission on all site plan reviews that involved historical homes in the East Acton Village area. Their expertise would be invaluable to help maintain these structures.

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Recommended Strategies for Village Character and Housing Goal V2

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date MA Using the appropriate survey form from the Historical MA Historical Commission, document those EAVO, Acton Commission, Major, 2-4 V2.1a buildings, unique physical sites, landmarks, High 2006 Historical Acton years archeological sites, etc. that distinguish East Commission Historical Acton Village. Commission Conduct a study to determine whether additional preservation measures are BOS, TM, EAVO, Acton necessary to encourage the maintenance Acton Major, 4 Historical V2.1b Low 2008 and preservation of architecturally and Historical years Commission, historically significant resources in the EAV Commission consultant area. Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning Appendix V2.2a District to encourage the preservation of EAV Moderate, High A – Article PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * structures on the Town Cultural Resource 2 months H List. Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to provide incentives for the renovation of historic structures which PB, BOS, EAVPC, PB, reestablish approximate original facades. Appendix TM and later Moderate, Spring BOS, V2.2b With guidance from the Acton Historical A – PB, BOS 2 months Medium 2004, Property * Commission, new structures with Articles H and Acton and ongoing Owners, complementary architecture could be & G Historical ongoing Developers constructed on the same site through Commission increased FAR where appropriate from the density options menu.

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Recommended Strategies for Village Character and Housing Goal V2 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date EAVO, Acton Compile a written history of East Acton Moderate, V2.2c Medium 2008 Historical Village. 1 year Commission Establish an informal organization (EAVO) EAVPC, consisting of local residents, business Local Moderate, V2.3a owners, and property owners to monitor and High 2004 Businesses, 2 months promote the Goals and Objectives of the Property EAV Plan. Owners Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning Appendix V2.4a District to encourage the development and/or Moderate, High A – Article BOS, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * preservation of common spaces by providing 2 months G incentives for them. Natural Resources, Construct the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Appendix BOS, TM, Major, 5 V2.4b High 2009 BFRT (BFRT). E EOTC years construction contractor Highway, Establish, construct, and continually enhance Appendix Major, 2 2004, Municipal V2.4c High BOS the East Acton Village Green. D years ongoing Properties, Volunteers

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Implementation

Encourage preservation

There are many structures within East Acton Village District that are on the town’s “Cultural Resource List.” These are structures that should be considered for preservation and, as others are added, they should be considered as well. Working with the Acton Historical Commission to complete the area forms and the individual building forms will bring attention to the number and quality of historical resources in East Acton Village. Completing the forms may also result in an expanded Cultural Resource List and encourage current owners to restore their properties. In addition, it could encourage developers of larger sites or assemblages to preserve “historic” buildings. The “History of East Acton Village and the Planning Area” section of this Plan (including the draft list of historic resources), and the more detailed draft historical information in Appendix I, could provide the foundation for future research and study of historic resources in East Acton.

Providing incentives to maintain and/or improve historical sites and structures would help with preservation. Redevelopment of lots where historic structures are preserved would be rewarded by an additional 0.10 FAR (Floor Area Ratio). For those owners who destroy historic structures, development on those lots would be restricted to a maximum of 0.20 FAR for 25 years.

Once this work is done, the East Acton Village Organization should compile into one document the history of the area both to encourage preservation and to encourage maintenance of the village characteristics found in the history.

Historical area survey

Completing this inventory will allow the community to pinpoint more specifically what should be maintained or improved in the village so that the most important physical aspects are addressed. This includes not only the buildings but unique historical sites (the location of the train depot and other outbuildings within the East Acton Village Green; the site of the old ice house; the railroad tracks from the two original lines that ran through the area; gristmill wheels from the mills; etc) and physical examples such as the canal that used to run the mills.

Individual building surveys

Upon completion of the area survey, each structure in the Village should have a form with information about its construction date, design style, any history that’s known, outbuildings (barns, carriage houses), etc. This is important in making sure that owners are aware of the history of the building so that they can take special care of those characteristic features.

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Informal organization

The Town Hall or the Chamber of Commerce can provide a contact list of local businesses. The EAVO must include local residents as well as business owners as they both have a vested interest in the success of the village.

Incentives for common space

Public outdoor courtyards or gathering areas can be costly to build and maintain. Areas such as the newly redesigned Colonial Spirits Plaza should be encouraged by providing incentives for their development.

Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (BFRT) and East Acton Village Green

The committee charged with implementing the rail trail will consider many options for funding. For the development of the East Acton Village Green, the EAVPC is seeking funding from the Community Preservation Act and the local businesses.

See Chapter 7 for more information on the BFRT and the EAV Green.

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Goal V3: Create a defining identity for East Acton Village that enhances the appearance and better distinguishes East Acton Village from the rest of the Great Road corridor.

Objective 1: Establish a system of consistent design elements to delineate the village area and enhance village aesthetics. Objective 2: Ensure that land uses and densities allowed, along with the dimensional requirements for buildings, parking lots, and other structures, create a village ambiance and promote the village as an activity center. Objective 3: Encourage private or volunteer efforts to improve community identification, to create a sense of place and pride. Objective 4: Promote a community focus and awareness within and around the village. Objective 5: Encourage the on-going maintenance and repair of buildings, structures, and properties within the village. Objective 6: Encourage façade and signage improvements.

Issues

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts owns Route 2A (Great Road in Acton) and controls the speed limit and all improvements on or along the roadway that Acton, as a community, might wish to make (e.g., traffic management controls, driveway curb cuts, on-street parking, etc.). Traffic on Great Road is a major impediment cutting off pedestrian/ bicyclist access to the village shops across the road. The speed limit (40 mph) is too high for safe passage from one side to the other (according to general state guidelines) and precludes the use of crosswalks.

Nashoba Brook flows through the Village on the southwest side of Great Road. Environmental concerns and regulations limit the development or redevelopment of lots on that side of the roadway and make compliance with setback, parking and waste water system design requirements difficult.

During the late 1800s and up to the 1930’s and 1940’s East Acton Village was a center of commerce with a tavern, restaurant, ice cutting business and mills along or near Nashoba Brook. Many of these destinations and trade businesses that were the core of the village are now gone. With the increase of traffic along Great Road over the years and with the change in business types, the village has lost its identity and also has been divided by traffic. Businesses tend to cater more toward drive-by traffic rather than serve as a destination for residents and visitors. One goal for the East Acton Village Plan is to recover a sense of village.

Zoning and business incentives with design and historical preservation regulations are the most feasible and effective way to encourage business and residential owners to

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make the necessary changes to achieve the goal of village identity. By integrating a variety of land uses and open space in a deliberate and functional pattern within the Village District, a defining character can be preserved that separates East Acton Village from the rest of the Great Road corridor. By giving incentives to village businesses to expand, a wider variety of shops can be promoted, more pedestrian friendly amenities can be added, and, as a result, a more attractive place to live and do business will be created.

In order to provide a distinct transition between “strip mall” development along Great Road and East Acton Village as well as to promote the protection of Nashoba Brook, the EAVPC recommends the creation of a new zoning district (EAV-2) to abut the EAV Zoning District (see Map 5 in Chapter 2). This new district would allow a more diverse mix of uses, but at a lower density than the EAV district. In addition, the Town should encourage the use of TDRs to transfer development out of the new, abutting district (away from Nashoba Brook) into the EAV Zoning District, and provide incentives for developers to use such TDRs.

The current clutter of signs along Great Road is very distracting; it does not enhance the sense of village; nor is it easy for customers or potential customers to locate businesses. In order to facilitate the village ambiance, some uniformity is recommended while preserving each business’s right for a unique identification. Since it is not the purview of the EAVPC to rewrite the entire sign bylaw, the Committee urges the Town to establish a process to review and amend the signage requirements.

Other Ideas Considered

While structured parking is currently allowed in East Acton Village, it would not help create a sense of village. The zoning bylaw should be amended to disallow structured parking within the EAV Zoning District. Structured parking on a village scale and built to appropriate aesthetic standards is not currently cost-effective. However, as economic conditions change, the Town may wish to revisit the issue of structured parking in the East Acton Village area.

On-street parking is recommended in the future and discussed in the Transportation and Infrastructure section.

Recommendations

Creating a compact, viable village center from strip mall development is a challenging task. The objectives and strategies recommended are the incentives and tools that are necessary to encourage current and future property owners to make the changes necessary to create the desired ambiance sought.

The recommendations for property zoning changes are based on the need to create a compact village center and to maintain open space within the village environment. The EAVPC discussed properties on Wetherbee Street beyond the railroad bed, but found

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no consensus on recommendations to change their current zoning. The goal of the Master Plan to concentrate business development in village centers might be undermined were the lots on Wetherbee rezoned to include retail and/or business at this time. This issue was discussed at length with some recommending a change along the Wetherbee Street saving the rear parcels for residential or open space. Rezoning to allow for only office park and senior housing did not achieve consensus. Some felt that, while it was a good idea, it might be too limited in scope and might be a detriment to the neighborhood and the conservation land abutting it along Route 2. The view of the heavily treed hill on the property on the westerly side of Wetherbee Street creates a wonderful, rural backdrop for EAV and should be maintained.

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Recommended Strategies for Village Character and Housing Goal V3

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to include “Special V3.1a Provisions for East Acton Village” design Appendix A Moderate, High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * standards to help developers – Article G 2 months understand the vision for East Acton Village. Amend the “Maximum Floor Area of Businesses and Industries” Zoning V3.1b Appendix A Moderate, Bylaw table for the EAV Zoning District High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * – Article G 2 months to provide for a greater variety of business types and sizes. Moderate, See the V3.2a Require landscaping for parking that will 2 months, Owners, High Environment BOS, TM Spring 2004 * enhance the village environment. then Developers Chapter ongoing Amend the Zoning Bylaw to reduce the V3.2b Appendix A Moderate, minimum open space requirement in the High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * – Article E 2 months EAV Zoning District from 35% to 25%. Increase tree plantings and other Property landscaping, encourage grounds Owners, Major, 2 V3.2c maintenance, and encourage the High BOS, TM Ongoing Developers, years development of green spaces Highway, Tree throughout the Village. Warden Highway, Property MassHighway, Owners, Major, 5- V3.2d Encourage underground utility lines. Medium 2014 Property Local Utilities, 10 years Owners, Local MassHighway Utilities, BOS

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Recommended Strategies for Village Character and Housing Goal V3 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Install EAV gateway signage at the EAV Green and at the beginning of the BOS, Moderate, Engineering, V3.2e High 2004, 2007 landscaped transition area near Keefe Highway 6 months MassHighway Road. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV V3.2f Appendix A Moderate, Zoning District to create an EAV-2 High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * – Article F 2 months Zoning District (see Map 6). Rezone tax map G5, parcel 69 (8 V3.2g Appendix A Moderate, Wetherbee Street) from SM to EAV (see High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * – Article C 2 months Map 7). Rezone tax map G4, parcel 212 at V3.2h Appendix A Moderate, corner of Concord Road and Great Road High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * – Article B 2 months from LB to ARC (see Map 7). Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV V3.2i Appendix A Moderate, Zoning District to disallow above-ground High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * – Article I 2 months structured parking in EAV District. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV V3.2j Zoning District to reduce required Appendix A Moderate, High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * minimum parking within the EAV Village – Article I 2 months District to 70% of that presently required. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to reduce parking required within the EAV Village District V3.2k to 50% of that presently required if Appendix A Moderate, Medium PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * shared parking is used and reduce the – Article I 2 months parking requirement in the EAV-2 district to 70% of that presently required if shared parking is used.

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Recommended Strategies for Village Character and Housing Goal V3 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Encourage, through the volunteer organization (EAVO), activity in the By individual Village through both public programs Moderate, V3.3a Medium event group Ongoing EAVO and private efforts (i.e., book fairs, ongoing organizers concerts, sidewalk sales, exhibits and artists’ corners). Facilitate the joint effort of Town Moderate, V3.3b personnel and community volunteers to High BOS Ongoing EAVO ongoing beautify East Acton Village. Encourage, through the volunteer organization (EAVO), activity in the By individual Village through both public programs Moderate, V3.4a Medium event group Ongoing EAVO and private efforts (i.e., book fairs, ongoing organizers concerts, sidewalk sales, exhibits and artists’ corners). Facilitate the joint effort of Town Moderate, V3.4b personnel and community volunteers to High BOS Ongoing EAVO ongoing beautify East Acton Village. Municipal Establish, construct, and continually Major, 2 2004, Properties, V3.4c High Appendix D BOS enhance the East Acton Village Green. years ongoing Highway, volunteers Working with the Acton Historical Acton Commission, establish the use of EAVO, Acton Historical Major, 2 2004, V3.4d plaques that name buildings, famous High Historical Commission, years ongoing sites or discuss historic events within the Commission BOS Village.

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Recommended Strategies for Village Character and Housing Goal V3 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Establish an informal organization EAVPC, Local (EAVO) consisting of local residents, Moderate, Businesses, V3.5a business owners, and property owners High 2004 2 months Property to monitor and promote the Goals and Owners Objectives of the EAV Plan. Make the design standards for East Acton Village in the Zoning Bylaw available to property owners to help Appendix A Minor, 1 EAVO, V3.5b High 2005 them understand the vision and guide – Article G month Planning them when maintaining/developing their properties. Amend sign bylaw for the EAV Zoning V3.6a District to allow for exterior sign Appendix A Moderate, Medium PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * improvements and to provide a unifying – Article J 2 months feature to the village district.

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Implementation

Design Standards

Incorporating standards into the Zoning Bylaw will codify the vision for the East Acton Village Zoning District.

Business Sizes

To encourage a variety of businesses that are small enough to walk to and between, the East Acton Village Planning Committee recommends amending some of the maximum floor area limits currently in the Zoning Bylaw for EAV zoned businesses. The changes are highlighted below. Struck-through words are deletions and underlined words are additions.

Principal Use Square Footage Allowed in the EAV Zoning District

Commercial Education or Instruction 5,000 Retail Store 5,000 7,500 Office 5,000 7,500 Health Care Facility 5,000 Restaurant 5,000 Lodge or Club NR 5,000 Veterinary Care NR 5,000 Services 5,000 Repair Shop, Technical Shop, Studio 5,000 Building Trade Shop 5,000 Commercial Recreation NR 7,500 Commercial Entertainment NR 5,000 Manufacturing NR (no regulation – the use is not permitted)

Village aesthetics

Currently along Great Road in East Acton Village there is limited landscaping, numerous utility wires, and multiple parking lots (see Figure 4). The Committee is proposing the following methods to improve East Acton Village’s streetscape (see Figure 5).

Entrance signs

These would be simple ways to create identifiable boundaries for East Acton Village and to make it clear to motorists that they are entering a demarcated district. The use of entrance signs on both the east and west

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ends of the district will make it clear that this is a unique place on Great Road (see Figure 6).

Historic structures

Small, historical buildings don’t necessarily fit the modern business need. Therefore, the Zoning Bylaw land use section should be changed to allow for more business types within EAV that would fit into and onto the smaller buildings and properties. The intention is not to change all single-family buildings into business property but to encourage the continued use of some of the current single-family homes to remain as such in order to populate the village.

Parking

The sight of continuous parking areas is aesthetically unpleasing and does not create the effect of a village center. Requiring parking behind or beside structures brings the focus back to the people and businesses, increasing a sense of community. Where this is not possible, property owners are to be encouraged to mix trees, shrubs and other landscaping greenery beside and within the parking area. In order to encourage current or future property owners to join in creating this atmosphere, incentives such as reduced setback requirements and allowing shared parking should be provided and the use of design standards to encourage bicycle parking. If and when it becomes feasible, on-street parking should be allowed and encouraged.

Lighting

Lighting in the EAV Zoning District will be appropriate to village scale and character and abide by the new Acton Outdoor Lighting Bylaw in order to provide safety as well as a village unifying element. The EAVPC is also recommending gooseneck lighting for signs in the village (see strategy 6a). Lighting is also discussed in the Transportation and Infrastructure section of this plan.

Power lines

Overhead utility lines, not common during the earlier heyday of East Acton Village, detract from the landscaping and open areas of EAV. Placing utility lines underground is not a simple task. It would require working with all the utility companies (electric, telephone and cable), the State (if the lines are along Great Road), and the individual landowners during redevelopment to place utility lines underground. The Board of Selectmen would need to take the lead on this.

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Scenic views and landscaping

Green spaces and proper landscaping will set the East Acton Village District apart from the rest of Great Road. The East Acton Village Green and Nashoba Brook enhance the beauty and attractiveness of East Acton Village to local residents and village patrons. Building on the “Acton Looks Good” campaign, local volunteers should work with the Acton Highway Department or Municipal Properties Department to maintain the EAV Green (mowing and pruning), the Concord Road island and other more “islands of beauty” that may be created. The focus should be on the quality of the open space in the village, not just quantity (also see Chapter 6, Goals 1 and 3).

Signage

The EAV Planning Committee recommends that the Town review the current Sign section of the Zoning Bylaw in order to update and improve the regulations to aid local businesses and patrons in the entire town. The following changes to the Sign section of the Zoning Bylaw are recommended for East Acton Village: 1. Allow the use of gooseneck lamps for all external lighting of signs. 2. Allow for a maximum of three external signs per business from the following menu provided that there are no more than two signs on one side of the business: a. One sign across the front entrance to the business (limitations as provided in the current Zoning Bylaw). b. One awning sign either in the front or rear of the business that can be lit. If lit, it shall be done externally with full cut-off lights or gooseneck lights and meet village ambiance criteria. c. One projecting sign (limitations as provided in the current Zoning Bylaw). d. One smaller wall sign (for secondary access to the business). e. One free-standing sign (limitations as provided in the current Zoning Bylaw). 3. In addition to the current allowed material for signs in the village, add the use of wood or “wood appearance” signs. [As technology makes materials that are safer and from recycled materials, the EAV Planning Committee would like the Town to consider allowing these to be used in signs as well.]

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Zoning

The purpose of rezoning specific parcels to EAV is to create a viable, compact village area for shopping and gathering. The recommended rezoning of the one Small Manufacturing parcel (along with the parcel rezoned at the October, 2003 Special Town Meeting) will result in a village district area that is continuous and sufficiently large in area to promote the type of village atmosphere desired.

In order to create an environmental and development buffer zone around the East Acton Village District, the EAV Planning Committee recommends rezoning several parcels and creating an EAV-2 Zoning District: Tax map G4, parcel 10 (126 Great Road) and Tax map F4, parcels 69-1, 104, 69, 67-1, 67, 54 (125, 128, 129 & 133, 132, 134 and 136 Great Road) along the Great Road corridor and Tax map G4, parcel 143 (13 Wetherbee Street) and Tax map G5, parcels 83, 90, 92, 93, 82-1, 82 (13, 19, 21, 25 Keefe Road; 30 & 30A Great Road; and 18 Wetherbee Street) along Keefe Road and between Keefe Road, Great Road and the proposed Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (BFRT) [See Map 6, page 87].

The allowed uses recommended in the EAV-2 district are similar to EAV with the following exceptions: vehicle repair shops, vehicle body shops and wireless communication facilities would be allowed by special permit in EAV-2 and not allowed in EAV, and bed and breakfast uses would be allowed by special permit in EAV-2 where they are allowed by-right in EAV.

The recommended minimum front yard and side and rear yard setbacks for the EAV-2 district would be 10 feet (30 feet if a non-residential use abuts a residential zoning district). The recommended minimum lot frontage requirement for the district would be 50 feet. No minimum lot width would be recommended for the EAV-2 Zoning District. Furthermore, a minimum of 35% open space would be recommended for the district. The recommended allowable Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for the EAV-2 district would be 0.20 by right, with no provision for increasing the FAR above 0.20. Also, the EAV Planning Committee recommends that EAV-2 be a Sending District only under the Transfer of Development Rights provision. The EAV-2 District would discourage development on the Nashoba Brook side of Great Road and direct development more to the northerly side of Great Road for environmental protection by allowing a bonus for transferring development rights from the brook side to the northerly side. The TDR provision would allow those property owners who transfer their development rights to realize the value in their property without developing in an environmentally sensitive area. See goal 4 “Transfer of Development Rights, Density options menu” of this chapter and goal 1 of the Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Chapter (Chapter 6) below.

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Map 6.

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Map 7.

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Figure 4. – Existing Streetscape in East Acton Village

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Figure 5. – Proposed Streetscape Improvements for East Acton Village

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Figure 6. Example of a Gateway / Entrance Sign

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Goal V4: Encourage the qualities, characteristics, and ambiance of a village center through appropriate development or redevelopment.

Objective 1: Ensure that any new buildings, structures, renovations and additions are situated, designed and built at a human scale and in a style that is compatible with existing historical village structures and in harmony with the residential village architecture.

Objective 2: Discourage “highway strip” development and strip malls. Instead, encourage buildings with architectural detail and richness.

Objective 3: Enhance and promote a sense of “connectedness” between indoors and outdoors (i.e., the structure and its lot); among multiple structures/lots within the village; and between the village center and its surroundings.

Objective 4: Ensure a variety of residential and business opportunities by promoting a mix of land and building uses that enhance the village character.

Objective 5: Encourage a diversity of neighborhood-oriented retail and business development and redevelopment.

Issues

All parcels in East Acton Village (EAV) are developed to some degree at this time. Therefore, the process of creating the village character will take time and the redevelopment of many parcels. By providing the “Special Provisions Design Standards” and by offering incentives of increased density, the property owners will be encouraged to redevelop their properties according to the village concepts contained in this plan. Also, should any maintenance or expansion occur within village properties, the town should encourage the use of the Standards, to the extent possible, at that time as well.

Concentrating development within the village district may put historical structures in jeopardy. With property value high, owners might be tempted to sell to the “highest bidder.” Therefore, historic preservation remains of paramount importance and has been given strong incentives.

Recommendations

The goal of these recommendations is to distinguish East Acton Village aesthetically from the rest of the development along Great Road (Route 2A). By developing according to the design standards, property owners and town boards will help bring about the vision that the stakeholders have for this area.

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Recommended Strategies for Village Character Goal V4

Desired Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Objective Strategy Priority Completion Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date V4.1a Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning Appendix A – Moderate, High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * District to create design standards for EAV. Article G 2 months Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to provide a menu of V4.1b Appendix A – Moderate, incentives to developers to encourage the High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * Article G 2 months type and location of density that enhances a village ambiance. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to change dimensions and parking V4.2a Appendix A – Moderate, requirements to permit the clustering of High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * Articles E & I 2 months separate buildings on separate lots and to reduce curb cuts. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning V4.2b District to require both vertical and Appendix A – Moderate, High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * horizontal variety in large buildings to Article G 2 months enhance village aesthetics. Appendix A. Highway, See also Moderate, Provide walkways, bike paths, arcaded Spring Engineering, V4.3a Transportation 2 months walks, etc. to connect EAV internally and High BOS, PB 2004, Property * and then with the surrounding communities. ongoing Owners, Infrastructure ongoing Developers Chapter Appendix A. See also Promote development or redevelopment Transportation Moderate, V4.3b that encourages walking or the use of High BOS, PB Ongoing BOS, PB and ongoing bicycles. Infrastructure Chapter

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Recommended Strategies for Village Character and Housing Goal V4 (cont’d)

Desired Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Objective Strategy Priority Completion Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning V4.4a District to allow multi-family housing as a Appendix A – Moderate, High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * primary use and to limit the units per Article D 2 months building to a maximum of four. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning V4.4b District to provide that apartments in excess Appendix A – Moderate, High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * of four units be permitted above the ground Article D 2 months floor in mixed use developments. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning V4.4c District to reduce required parking within the Appendix A – Moderate, High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * EAV Village District to 70% of that presently Article I 2 months required. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District to reduce parking required within the EAV Village District to 50% of that presently V4.4d Appendix A – Moderate, required if shared parking is used and High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * Article I 2 months reduce the parking requirement in the EAV- 2 district to 70% of that presently required if shared parking is used. Amend Zoning Bylaw land use table for the V4.4e Appendix A – Moderate, EAV Zoning District to provide for a greater High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * Article D 2 months variety of business types and sizes. Amend Zoning Bylaw land use table for the V4.5a Appendix A – Moderate, EAV Zoning District to provide for a greater High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * Articles D & G 2 months variety of business types and sizes. Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning V4.5b Appendix A – Moderate, District to limit certain business sizes to High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * Article G 2 months maintain village scale.

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Implementation

Transfer of Development Rights

The Transfer of Development Rights option, already available in the current Acton Zoning Bylaw, is one tool to aid redevelopment. While this tool has not been used in Acton, it has been successful in other parts of the country.

The EAV Planning Committee strongly urges the Board of Selectmen (BOS) and the Planning Board to review the current Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) provision of the Acton Zoning Bylaw to make the process easier and more understandable. The EAV Planning Committee also urges the BOS to create a board or agency to act as a clearing-house for development rights (such as the Economic Development Committee). Such a clearing-house would facilitate the use of TDRs by providing information to property owners, helping prospective buyers identify potential sellers and thus serving as a facilitator of development rights transfers. A member or members of EAVO should be a liaison to the TDR review process and clearing-house agency/board.

Since redevelopment is costly and might include the loss of business during the construction time, the EAV Planning Committee has developed a menu approach to incentives. By Special Permission only, a property owner may exceed a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.20 on his or her property by accepting one or more options from the “menu.” In any case, the maximum allowable FAR for any parcel could not exceed 0.50 FAR. Since parking, open space, and waste water management requirements will impact the development potential of any parcel, not all properties may be able to achieve 0.50 FAR. Density is not to be perceived as an end in itself but as a tool to achieve the critical mass required for a vibrant village.

Density options menu

· Special Provisions Design Standards for East Acton Village District will provide the vision for the Village. · All development, expansion, or redevelopment greater than 500 square feet will require a site plan and will be required to adhere to the Special Provisions Design Standards for the new construction only (and the rest of the building at the owner’s discretion). · Development by right will be limited to 0.20 FAR. · Any increase in FAR over 0.20 requires a Special Permit of the Board of Selectmen (BOS) up to a maximum of 0.50 through the following means: · TDRs will allow an additional 0.20 FAR. However, development rights purchased from the Nashoba Brook side of Great Road within either EAV or EAV-2 [see Map 8] will receive an additional 25% bonus on square footage transferred. (e.g., should a developer wish to obtain

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1,250 square feet he/she would be able to do so by buying 1,000 square feet from a brook side property and receive the remaining 250 square feet as a bonus or he could purchase the 1,250 square feet from a non-brook side sending property and pay for 1,250 square feet). · After a positive recommendation from the Acton Historical Commission, the BOS may allow an additional 0.1 FAR for the preservation of historical structures. Any developer or property owner who willfully demolishes an historical structure will be denied additional FAR. That property will be limited to a FAR of 0.20 maximum for 25 years. · Affordable housing on the upper floors of mixed use new development or redevelopment only (at least 1 unit, 10% of the total number of units, or such higher number determined by the Board of Selectmen during the permitting process) would be allowed an additional 0.1 FAR. · With LEED certification an additional .05 FAR is allowed (see the Environment Chapter for a description of the LEED program).

Dimensional Requirements

At the turn of the twentieth century buildings were close to the road to allow easy access to homes and businesses. The buildings that were used for businesses were often family homes as well. Parking, when cars were available, was easily accommodated on the street due to the limited number of motor vehicles. Architecture was varied according to use and finances. Large buildings were used for taverns with rooms to rent above and the owner’s family living behind; mills were close to the road with family homes nearby; and village residences both large and small were all part of the landscape.

To recreate a similar landscape the EAV Planning Committee recommends changing the minimum required setback in the Zoning Bylaw so that buildings in EAV can be situated to within 10 feet from the street right-of-way (minimum “front yard setback”) and right up to the side and rear lot lines (no minimum “side and rear yard setback”). The committee recommends setting a maximum front yard setback of 20 feet. The committee also recommends including a provision that encourages the front yard setback of new buildings to generally align with historic buildings, similar to the Zoning Bylaw dimensional regulations for SAV and WAV.

It is also recommended that the minimum lot frontage and lot width requirements in the Zoning Bylaw be removed for the EAV Zoning District. Sidewalks must be available for pedestrians along with benches and pocket parks as amenities. Within the same parcel, buildings may be situated close together for the convenience of pedestrian shoppers. Off-street parking should be located to the rear or side of the buildings. On large parcels where buildings could be located in several areas, developers are encouraged to locate parking and green spaces in the center of the development, similar to a quadrangle. Buildings would be

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both close to the street and at the rear of the property with other amenities in between or on the side.

Lighting

While all new developments must adhere to the Acton Outdoor Lighting Regulations, in order to enhance the character of the village district, gooseneck lights will be permitted within the East Acton Village Zoning District.

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Map 8. Chapter 4 – Village Character and Housing Page 99

Goal V5: Promote diverse residential development in East Acton Village and the surrounding area.

Objective 1: Encourage apartments above retail stores, offices, and other permitted uses. Objective 2: Encourage a mixture of housing opportunities including affordable, low and moderate income in the village and within walking distance of the village.

Description of Existing Housing in East Acton

Apartment Complexes All three complexes are zoned Multifamily (R-A) and are located on Great Road. Zoning would not allow additional units to be constructed at these sites. 1. Azalea Court Apartments, located on tax map G5, parcel 72-3 (6 and 8 Azalea Court). These two buildings are condominiums, but they are mostly rented to apartment dwellers. There are no other properties located on Azalea Court. 2. Iris Court Apartments, located on tax map G5, parcels 63, 72, and 72-4 (1, 2, 3, 5, and 14 Iris Court). These five buildings are rentals. There are no other properties located on Iris Court. 3. Pillar House Apartments, located on tax map G5, parcel76-1 (48 Great Road). This is a single building containing condominiums with its own driveway onto Great Road.

Smaller Apartment Buildings There are a few smaller buildings, all located along Great Road within the East Acton Village District, which contain multiple apartment units. These include buildings such as: *56 Great Road: a four-unit rental building with indoor garages at the southwest corner of Wetherbee Street and Great Road. This building contains rentals but has been converted to condominiums, which are for sale as such. The original building is on the Cultural Resource List. *60 Great Road: at the northwest corner of Wetherbee Street and Great Road. This historic tavern contains three rental apartments on the second floor and office/retail on the ground floor. This building is also on the Cultural Resource List. *52 and 54 Great Road: these two older buildings contain some rented rooms and some rented apartments. #52 is on the Cultural Resource List.

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*65 Great Road: this historic tavern and stage stop has two rental apartments on the second floor and Phillips Glass and a photography studio on the ground floor. This building is on the Cultural Resource List.

Other Residential Buildings on Great Road and Keefe Road There are several individual homes either owner-occupied or rented along Great Road. Some of these may contain more than one rental unit, such as 38 Great Road (between the Mobil and Ginger Court) which is on the Cultural Resource List. There are some owner-occupied homes on Keefe Road.

Pope Road The area behind the Iris Court/Azalea Court apartments (Myrtle, Bayberry, Magnolia, Phlox, Rose) is zoned Single Family (R-2), 20,000 square foot lots. The remainder of Pope Road is zoned Single Family (R-8), 80,000 square feet. There appears to be very little of this area that has not been developed.

Concord Road This area is zoned Single Family (R-2), 20,000 square feet. There appears to be little land left for development.

Wetherbee Street · West Side: *21 and 39 Wetherbee), which are in the R-2 zoning district (20,000 square feet). * Parcel 189 contains 5 1/3 acres of open land with frontage on Wetherbee Street and is zoned R-8/4 (80,000 square feet). * Parcel 174 contains 27 ¾ acre, zoned R-8/4, showing no frontage on Wetherbee Street, but lengthy frontage on the railroad right of way. It is behind and adjacent to Parcel 189 above. Both Parcel 189 and Parcel 174 are within Subdistrict B of the Affordable Housing Overlay District. · East Side. This side of the street is zoned R-2 from the railroad right-of-way to the State-owned land (50 Massachusetts Ave.). * There a couple of homes (36 and 40 Wetherbee Street) on small lots all of which are on the Cultural Resource List. * Tax map G4, parcel 208 contains an industrial building on a 3 1/3 acre plot with extensive frontage on the railroad right of way. This parcel is also within Subdistrict B of the Affordable Housing Overlay District.

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Issues

Several vintage buildings, primarily from the nineteenth century, remain in use in East Acton both as homes and commercial properties. Preservation of these historic structures will serve the essential function of providing the New England character and ambiance of the village. New England villages typically had apartments located on the second and third floors of buildings and retail or offices on the ground floor. Examples of this configuration in the East Acton Village Zoning District include the building at 60 Great Road (the old Nashoba Tavern) which contains two offices and a store on the ground floor and apartments on the second floor. The building at 65 Great Road (the old Wetherbee Tavern) now houses Phillips Glass and a photography studio on the ground floor and apartments above. In keeping with this village character, large apartment buildings are not acceptable while smaller apartment buildings (4 units or less), and above business apartments would fulfill the need for housing. Furthermore, it is inconsistent with village character, and therefore undesirable, to demolish or radically alter historic structures in order to generate large apartment complexes.

Residential support is vital to a vibrant village. Sufficient pedestrian traffic is a requirement for viable community based businesses. This is why housing above stores and businesses is important for the area as well as pedestrian walkways and sidewalks. At the same time, having people living in the village 24 hours a day 7 days a week provides some security for the local businesses and other residents.

Recommendations and Implementation

In order to preserve the remaining historical homes in EAV and to encourage a return to a village ambiance, the EAV Planning Committee has recommended amending the zoning bylaw to provide more allowable uses that would accommodate these older homes and structures. By providing for apartments above retail without requiring owner occupancy and allowing for two-family homes and conversions to two to four-family homes, economic incentives are provided to maintain and improve these houses currently listed on the Acton Cultural Resource List. These changes will also encourage more residents in East Acton Village which will provide more customers and overnight and weekend traffic for business security, and add more life and activity to the village. The need for affordable housing is addressed by providing incentives to business/property owners in the district to add FAR for developing housing on the upper floor of office/retail buildings in the village with a minimum of 10% set aside for low- or moderate-income residents. Also, two family homes should be allowed as a right provided historical buildings are maintained as such. The building inspector will assure compliance when issuing the building permit.

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Recommended Strategies for Village Character Goal V5

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning Appendix V5.1a District to provide that residential apartments in Moderate, High A – Article PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * excess of four units be permitted above the 2 months D ground floor only in mixed use developments. Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning Appendix V5.1b District to provide a menu of incentives to Moderate, High A – Article PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * developers to encourage the type and location 2 months H of density that enhances a village ambiance. Amend the Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning Appendix V5.2a Moderate, District to allow multi-family housing up to a High A – Article PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * 2 months maximum of four units per building. D Appendix V5.2b Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District Moderate, High A – Article PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * to allow two family houses by right in EAV. 2 months D Appendix A. See also the Amend Zoning Bylaw for the EAV Zoning District Density V5.2c Moderate, to provide incentives to preserve historical Medium Options PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * 2 months homes by providing FAR bonuses. Menu in Goal 4 of this chapter

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CHAPTER 5: TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Straddling Great Road (Route 2A) and situated in the Littleton/Acton/Concord Great Road corridor, East Acton Village (EAV) faces multiple and sometimes competing transportation needs. As Great Road is a major commuter and commercial corridor, efficient through traffic operation is critical to restraining spillover onto neighborhood streets. The efficient flow of traffic is also essential for the retail businesses in this commercial corridor. However, efficient through traffic operation can conflict with pedestrian and bicyclist safety goals. There are clear safety challenges for these two groups to navigate to and in the EAV Zoning District, especially when crossing Great Road. Complicating implementation of a balanced response to these transportation needs is the additional task of negotiating desired signage or physical modifications with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which administers Great Road.

Both the EAV Residential & Town Meeting and Property Owner/Business Owner Surveys highlighted popular concern with pedestrian and bicyclist safety. They identified vehicular safety as a key concern as well. The Property/Business survey also indicated concern that the traffic volume (pass-by customer volume) might be adversely affected.

To assess the current and projected traffic conditions and identify ways to meet transportation needs, the East Acton Village Planning Committee (EAVPC) commissioned Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. to perform the EAV Transportation Study. The EAVPC adopted the study’s recommendations that were most in line with goals in the EAV Plan. Key recommendations include adding gateways to demarcate EAV, adding consistent streetscape design (curbing, landscaped frontage strips, sidewalks, etc.) to integrate EAV, upgrading the existing sidewalk system into an integrated network, and adding public spaces. Making the intermodal connections in EAV between the various bicycle, pedestrian, vehicle, and potentially regional public transit networks will help to reduce the number of vehicle trips on Great Road and intersecting streets.

The EAVPC wants to ensure that infrastructure needs are met to the extent that they facilitate achieving the other goals in the EAV Plan. Infrastructure action areas include encouraging environmentally responsible wastewater treatment, maintaining adequate drinking water supply, and maintaining a satisfactory level of service for the delivery of fuel, power, telephone, cable, and broadband access.

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Goal T1: Improve safety, convenience, and comfort for pedestrians in East Acton Village (EAV) and the surrounding area.

Objective 1: Complete the sidewalk system as recommended on Great Road, Pope Road, Wetherbee Street, and Keefe Road.

Objective 2: Provide walkways to connect East Acton Village with surrounding residential and natural resource areas and to interconnect buildings and lots within the village.

Objective 3: Support efforts to provide pedestrian scale lighting, benches, and other amenities.

Objective 4: Install crosswalks, other pedestrian crossings, and traffic calming measures to facilitate pedestrian access, circulation, and safety.

Issues

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts owns Great Road (Route 2A) in Acton and has control over speed and all other improvements on or along the roadway that we, as a community, might wish to make (i.e., traffic management controls, driveway curb cuts, on-street parking, etc.). Great Road (Route 2A) becomes a major impediment cutting off pedestrian/ bicyclist access to the village shops. Although the speed limit was recently reduced from 45 mph to 40 mph, the committee believes it is still too high for safe passage from one side to the other.

Any improvements to pedestrian safety within the Village will come from the desire of local businesses to help the community recreate the village character that was in East Acton last century. Incentives during development or redevelopment could be provided by the appropriate town board (e.g., allowing shared parking to reduce an individual property’s parking requirements). The objectives listed below are to set the standard for what the EAVPC envisions for the area.

Recommendations

The East Acton Village Zoning District is the heart of the East Acton area with shops, restaurants and other amenities for local residents as well as others from Acton and nearby towns. The EAV Planning Committee envisions the future of East Acton Village Zoning District to be a pedestrian and bicycle friendly area with a separate identity from the rest of Great Road. In order to do that, it is essential that surrounding residents can cross Great Road easily and safely, and that surrounding neighborhoods have direct, safe access to the area. The recommended strategies address these needs by recommending specific sidewalks, crosswalks, and other pedestrian amenities (see Map 9, page 114). The strategies reflect many of the suggestions that came from both the EAV Transportation Study (see Appendix C) done by VHB and the surveys and

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hearings that EAVPC has held. The recommended sidewalks and crosswalks are also shown on Map 9.

Ideas Considered But Not Recommended

As part of the EAV Transportation Study, VHB suggested several alternative, long-term ideas that were discussed by the committee and found to be inappropriate at this time. (See the EAV Transportation Study, pages 67 – 75). These ideas may be appropriate to reconsider if conditions change in the future. Among them was an alternative that proposed discontinuing Wetherbee Street near the railroad bed (proposed Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (BFRT)). The purposes were to eliminate vehicular conflict at Wetherbee and Great Road, provide connection points for pedestrians and bikes from the BFRT to Great Road, and allow the rezoning of lots for businesses to add to the diversity of uses in and around the village. This idea was rejected because the committee felt it would put more pressure on surrounding roads to access Route 2, would shut off current Wetherbee Street residents from East Acton making it harder for them to patronize the EAV Zoning District shops, and would leave several business sites with limited entrance and egress.

Another idea was the extension of Bayberry Road behind the shopping center to a signalized, 4-way intersection with Concord Road and a 3-way intersection with Pope Road by disconnecting Pope Road northbound at Bayberry Road. The committee rejected this idea because it would isolate the southern end of Pope Road. There are numerous rights-of-way issues with this concept, it would be quite costly, and it might not provide sufficient safety and sense of community.

The committee also rejected an idea to place a median in the center of Great Road from the Concord Road intersection to the intersection with Keefe Road. The committee felt this would divide the village in half, segregating each side and making it difficult for pedestrians and vehicles on one side to access areas on the opposite side of Great Road. The EAV Transportation Study suggests that drainage might become a major issue if this idea were implemented.

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Recommended Strategies for Transportation and Infrastructure Goal T1

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Add the Great Road, Pope Road, Wetherbee Street, and Keefe Road T1.1a High Reference 8 BOS Minor 2004 Engineering sidewalks to the Sidewalk Master Plan. Provide a continuous sidewalk of gray Property concrete on the north side of Great Owners, Road from just west of the Concord Appendix C, Moderate, T1.1b High BOS 2005 Engineering, Road intersection east to the Concord Reference 3 1 month Highway, Town line [page 49, EAV MassHighway Transportation Study]. Provide a continuous sidewalk of gray Property concrete on the south side of Great Owners, Road from the Concord Road Appendix C, Major, 3 T1.1c Medium BOS 2006 Engineering, intersection east to the Concord Town Reference 3 months Highway, line [page 63, EAV Transportation MassHighway Study]. Repair and upgrade sidewalks in EAV Property Zoning District to meet Americans Reference 40, Owners, with Disability Act (ADA) and Reference 22 Major, T1.1d Medium BOS Ongoing Engineering, Massachusetts Architectural Access and ongoing Highway, Board (AAB) requirements [page 63 Appendix C MassHighway of EAV Transportation Study]. Property Construct a sidewalk on the east side Minor, 2 Owners, T1.1e of Pope Road between Bayberry Medium BOS 2005 weeks Engineering, Road and Great Road. Highway

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Recommended Strategies for Transportation and Infrastructure Goal T1 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date As Complete sidewalk on west side of Minor, 2 pedestrian Engineering, T1.1f Pope Road from Great Road up to Low BOS weeks traffic Highway Brabrook Road. warrants Construct a sidewalk on the east side As Property of Wetherbee Street from Great Road Major, 1 pedestrian Owners, T1.1g Low BOS through the end of the residential month traffic Engineering, area. warrants Highway Property Construct a sidewalk on the south Moderate, Owners, T1.1h Low BOS 2007 side of Keefe Road. 1 month Engineering, Highway PB, EAVPC, Create walkways between the Moderate, BOS, Property T1.2a businesses on the north side of Great Appendix A – 2 months, High Property Spring 2004 Owners, * Road and the residential areas Article G then Owners Engineering, surrounding them. ongoing Highway Establish, construct, and continually Municipal enhance the East Acton Village Properties, Green, ensuring that it BOS, Major, 2 2004, Natural T1.2b accommodates the Rail Trail as well High Appendix D ConsCom years ongoing Resources, as good pedestrian access to and Highway, from the Village and nearby Volunteers neighborhoods. Create safe walkways through large parking areas using raised, marked Moderate, PB, EAVPC, T1.2c crosswalks; by using thermoplastic Appendix A – Property 2 months, High Spring 2004 Property * marking material; or any other Article G Owners then Owners approved design to make the ongoing walkways noticeable to drivers.

Chapter 5 – Transportation and Infrastructure Page 108 Recommended Strategies for Transportation and Infrastructure Goal T1 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Require developers to have sidewalks PB, EAVPC, or pedestrian trails connecting to T1.2d Appendix A – Moderate, Developers, adjacent lots at logical connecting High BOS Spring 2004 * Article G 2 months Property points if properties are renovated or Owners redeveloped. Require “full cut-off” (FCO) lights in Moderate, Developers, parking areas and along walkways 2 months, T1.3a High Appendix S BOS Spring 2004 Property that are of human scale providing then Owners adequate light without creating glare. ongoing Require benches or seating areas Moderate, PB, EAVPC, (steps, granite blocks, etc.) in or near BOS, T1.3b Appendix A – 2 months, Developers, green spaces within the village with Medium Property Spring 2004 * Article G then Property consideration for maintaining village Owners ongoing Owners character. Require stroller “parking” areas Moderate, throughout the Village to provide BOS, PB, EAVPC, T1.3c Appendix A – 2 months, parents a safe place for their Low Property Spring 2004 Property * Article G then carriages and strollers while they Owners Owners ongoing shop. Establish a crosswalk on Great Road just west of the intersection with Concord Road. Crosswalk should be Engineering, as described in the “Implementation” Reference 25, BOS, Major, 1 T1.4a High 2005 Highway, section below. Consider adding a Appendix C MassHighway week MassHighway pedestrian-operated stop light at this intersection [page 66 of EAV Transportation Study].

Chapter 5 – Transportation and Infrastructure Page 109 Recommended Strategies for Transportation and Infrastructure Goal T1 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Install a traffic light at Great Road and Engineering, Concord Road. This should be the BOS, Major, 1 T1.4b Medium 2005 Highway, next traffic light installed on Great MassHighway month MassHighway Road east of Rt. 27. Establish a crosswalk on Great Road just east of the intersection with Engineering, Wetherbee Street. Crosswalk should Reference 25, BOS, Major, 1 T1.4c High 2005 Highway, be as described in the Appendix C MassHighway week MassHighway “Implementation” section below [page 66 of EAV Transportation Study]. Establish a crosswalk on Great Road just west of the intersection with Keefe Road. Crosswalk should be as described in the “Implementation” Engineering, Reference 25, BOS, Major, 1 T1.4d section below. Consider adding a Low 2007 Highway, Appendix C MassHighway week pedestrian-operated stop light at this MassHighway intersection as conditions warrant [page 66 of EAV Transportation Study]. Establish a new, stamped asphalt Minor, 2 Engineering, T1.4e crosswalk across Pope Road at its High Appendix C BOS 2005 days Highway intersection with Great Road. Establish a new, stamped asphalt crosswalk across Concord Road at its Minor, 2 Engineering, T1.4f Medium Appendix C BOS 2006 intersection with Great Road [page 66 days Highway of EAV Transportation Study]. Establish a new, stamped asphalt Minor, 2 Engineering, T1.4g crosswalk across Wetherbee Street at Medium Appendix C BOS 2006 days Highway its intersection with Great Road.

Chapter 5 – Transportation and Infrastructure Page 110 Recommended Strategies for Transportation and Infrastructure Goal T1 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Establish a new, stamped asphalt Minor, 2 Engineering, T1.4h crosswalk across Keefe Road at its Low BOS 2007 days Highway intersection with Great Road. Install a series of integrated traffic calming measures along the length of Pope Road at key locations, including Moderate, Engineering, T1.4i Medium Appendix C BOS 2005 signage and a raised crosswalk at 1 week Highway intersection with Bayberry Road [page 54 of EAV Transportation Study]. Paint shoulder striping (“Fog lines”) Minor, 2 Engineering, T1.4j Medium BOS 2005 along the edges of Pope Road. days Highway

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Implementation

Sidewalks

Since the EAV Planning Committee charter was to deal with East Acton Village, the committee has made recommendations for EAV Zoning District and the immediate surrounding EAV area. However, the committee encourages the town to continue sidewalks on both sides of Great Road from the Concord town line to the Littleton town line.

The goal is for all sidewalks in the EAV Zoning District to be constructed of gray concrete; this is consistent with the use of gray concrete sidewalks within other village areas in Acton. The remaining sidewalks are currently constructed out of asphalt paving material. As a part of the repair and upgrade process, sections should be created with the gray concrete. Sidewalks should be wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

The committee also understands that in order to have a sidewalk added, it must be on the approved sidewalk list maintained by the Board of Selectmen (BOS). The sidewalks recommended here for Great Road, Pope Road, Wetherbee Street, and Keefe Road are not currently listed as proposed in the Sidewalk Master Plan. Therefore, the committee urges the BOS to add them. Telephone poles that are currently in the middle of sidewalks should be removed when wires are placed underground. If poles, hydrants, or other obstructions must be located in the sidewalk, the sidewalk should be widened around them to allow strollers and pedestrian groups to pass the poles easily. Sidewalks should also be routed around mature trees rather than removing the trees to make way for the sidewalk.

Crosswalks

Crosswalk safety is extremely important. The most difficult crosswalks are those needed to allow pedestrians to cross Great Road. The EAV Planning Committee recommends that a traffic light be installed at the intersection of Great Road and Concord Road. This light would include a walk light for pedestrians. (See the recommendations under Goal 3 below.)

Until a full traffic light is installed at Great Road and Concord Road, and for the crosswalks that allow pedestrians to cross Great Road near Wetherbee Street and Keefe Road, the committee recommends that the crosswalks should be as follows (or the equivalent in terms of safety and pedestrian visibility): They should be painted, slightly raised, “Inpavement Crosswalk Warning System,” Traffic Safety Corp ZA-230 Crosswalk Warning System Flashing (3 flashers per lane). These devices are implanted in the roadway directly in the motorist’s line of vision. They flash once every second in both directions to indicate pedestrians are in the crosswalk or about to enter. These flashing lights outline the crosswalk to alert

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motorists well in advance of reaching the crosswalk. They are snowplow safe for winter.

Crosswalks across Great Road (whether they use the inpavement warning system or a crossing light) should also include the visible yellow pedestrian warning signs (W11-2) a minimum of 200 yards from intersection in both directions with a supplemental distance marker indicating the distance from the sign to the crossing location. Another safety feature might be to provide overhead lights in crosswalks so drivers can easily see pedestrians in the crosswalk at night.

The committee recommends that crosswalks parallel to Great Road across Concord Road, Wetherbee Street, Keefe Road, and Pope Road be “stamped asphalt.” (See the EAV Transportation Study, page 55 and Figure 4-4) This method of defining a crosswalk is textured, for example to look like paving stones or bricks. The texture, in addition to being attractive and providing a well-defined pedestrian crossing, is felt by drivers, and thus has a slight traffic-calming effect by signaling a transition to a different traffic area.

The EAVPC recommends that pedestrian safety be enhanced by narrowing wide curb cuts (See Transportation Goal 3). But where large driveways remain, developers should consider installing crosswalks across those driveways. The crosswalks should be similar in construction and appearance to the crosswalks across roads such as Pope Road, Wetherbee Street, and Keefe Road.

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Map 9.

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Goal T2: Improve bicycle access and safety in East Acton Village and the surrounding area.

Objective 1: Support efforts to develop the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.

Objective 2: Provide clear, convenient, and safe bikeways within East Acton Village and connecting East Acton Village with surrounding residential and natural resource areas, and the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.

Objective 3: Ensure pedestrian and bicycle compatibility.

Objective 4: Encourage bicycle use through incorporation of bicycle facilities.

Issues

The committee envisions Acton adults and children, especially those in nearby neighborhoods, being able to safely and enjoyably use their bicycles to run an errand, go for a meal, or take an enjoyable ride through our lovely natural environment. However, one of the main findings of the resident and business surveys was the need to increase bicycle access and safety in East Acton Village. Of the resident respondents, 69% felt that bicycle and pedestrian friendliness needs to be increased; the figure for business respondents was 54% (Appendix H).

There are currently no specific accommodations for bicyclists, who face safety difficulties similar to those faced by pedestrians. The only ways for bicyclists to travel to or within the Village involve mingling with fast-moving motor traffic, waiting at intersections with often-impatient motorists, hoping to be seen by traffic using the numerous curb cuts, negotiating large parking lots, and finding no safe way to cross Great Road. There are few facilities to safely park and secure bicycles while riders patronize businesses in the Village.

The EAVPC sees the planned Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (BFRT) as a significant asset. It will likely bring increased bicycle and pedestrian traffic through East Acton Village. It has the potential to greatly foster the village character, to bring more people to the Village, and to give bicyclists and pedestrians easier access to business, recreational, and natural sites along the Rail Trail. There is support for the Rail Trail among the businesses in the Village, too. The survey done by the EAVPC showed that of 46 respondents, only 2 expected the Rail Trail to have an unfavorable effect on their business or property; 23 expected it to have a favorable effect.

The committee does not see the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail as a substitute for other bicycle facilities in East Acton Village. Instead, the committee thinks that along with building the Rail Trail, there should be increased attention paid to providing infrastructure and facilities for bicyclists to safely ride between the Rail Trail and other parts of the Village and surrounding neighborhoods. Otherwise, the bicyclists will be “stuck” on the trail.

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Recommendations and Implementation

EAVPC strongly supports the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. The town needs to do what it can to design and develop the Rail Trail, to make sure that it is safe for bicyclists and pedestrians (and roller bladers, cross-country skiers, snowshoers, etc.), and to make sure that the portion paralleling the Village supports the Village character and allows for pedestrians and bicyclists to easily get to and from the trail.

EAVPC does not at this time agree with one of the recommendations for bicycle safety presented in the EAV Transportation Study – the recommendation to add bike lanes along Great Road. (See the EAV Transportation Study, page 58.) Even though in most areas the road is wide enough to accommodate the 12.3 feet for travel lanes and 4.1 feet (preferred, 2.5 feet minimum) for bicycles on each side, the committee felt that the needs for bicyclists to travel in the direction of Great Road will be adequately and more safely met by the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. The committee also felt that bike lanes would be dangerous next to parked cars and around landscaped neck-down areas; both on-street parking and neck-down areas are recommendations of EAVPC within the EAV Zoning District (see the recommendations under Goal 3).

Bicyclists heavily use Pope Road, but the EAVPC considers it too narrow to safely add bicycle lanes. The committee does recommend that signs be installed reminding motorists and bicyclists to watch out for each other and to share the road. The signs should be SHARE THE ROAD (sign W16-1) in conjunction with a yellow diamond with a picture of a bicycle (sign W11-1). (See Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Part 9, Traffic Controls for Bicycle Facilities.)

Whatever solutions are implemented to help get pedestrians safely across Great Road should be designed to be safe and accessible for rail trail users, too. The locations that the committee recommends for crossings (just west of Concord Road, just east of Wetherbee Street, and just west of Keefe Road) seem adequate for rail trail users, too. Good signage and street markings of the crosswalk are crucial. (See the EAV Transportation Study.) As with pedestrian traffic, bicycle traffic should be provided with paths they can use to get among business areas in the Village without going out onto Great Road.

The EAV Transportation Study also recommends (and the committee agrees) that parking areas in the Village should include “parking” areas for bicycles that are safely segregated from automobile traffic and parking. Bicycle racks should be located as close to all public buildings, businesses, and recreation areas as possible, while minimizing conflict with pedestrian and automobile traffic. They should be a type that allows people to safely lock their bikes in place.

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Recommended Strategies for Transportation and Infrastructure Goal T2 Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount of Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required Effort Responsible Date Share the results of the EAV Transportation Study with the Bruce Minor, EAVPC, T2.1a Medium Appendix C Ongoing Freeman Rail Trail team and other ongoing Planning, TAC citizen groups supporting the Rail Trail. Ensure that a Town Bruce Freeman Rail Trail planning committee requires a representative from East Acton, Minor, Natural T2.1b High BOS 2004 ideally a representative from the EAV ongoing Resources volunteer organization or a former member of EAVPC. Natural Resources, Construct the Bruce Freeman Rail BOS, TM, Major, 5 T2.1c High Appendix E 2009 BFRT Trail. EOTC years construction contractor Establish, construct, and continually Municipal enhance the East Acton Village Green, Properties, ensuring that it accommodates the Rail BOS, Major, 2 2004, Natural T2.1d High Appendix D Trail as well as good pedestrian access ConsCom years ongoing Resources, to and from the Village and nearby Highway, neighborhoods. Volunteers PB, EAVPC, Business Provide clear and convenient bicycle Moderate, Owners, BFRT T2.2a connections from the Bruce Freeman BOS, varies for 2006, Medium Appendix E construction * Rail Trail to businesses in the Village ConsCom different Ongoing contractor, area, where appropriate. sites Natural Resources

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Recommended Strategies for Transportation and Infrastructure Goal T2 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount of Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required Effort Responsible Date Support the addition of bike lanes along Great Road from the point near Route 27 at which the BFRT crosses BOS, Mass- Major, 1 MassHighway, T2.2b Low Appendix C 2010 Great Road west to Littleton with Highway month Engineering appropriate signage and pavement markings. Add a bike lane or path along the north Highway, side of Concord Road from the Bruce Minor, 1 Engineering, T2.2c Medium Appendix E BOS 2006 Freeman Rail Trail to the proposed day construction crosswalk across Great Road. contractor Add signage on Pope Road reminding Reference Minor, 1 Highway, T2.2d motorists and bicyclists that this is a Medium BOS 2005 41 day Engineering shared road. Unknown. As part of the redesign of the Rt. 2 If the state BOS, TAC, rotary, support the inclusion of planners BOS, Mass- EAVO, Friends T2.2e appropriate travel ways for bicycles High take town Ongoing Highway of BFRT, from the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail to input, effort MassHighway cross Rt. 2. could be Minor. Encourage the provision of separate PB, EAVPC, T2.3a bike paths and sidewalks throughout Moderate, Low BOS, PB Ongoing Property EAV Zoning District where there is ongoing Owners sufficient space to do so. Moderate, PB, EAVPC, T2.4a Provide public bicycle parking facilities Appendix A BOS, PB, 2 months, Medium Spring 2004 Property * in Village areas. – Article G TM then Owners ongoing

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Goal T3: Improve vehicular circulation and safety within the village district.

Objective 1: Eliminate points of automobile conflict.

Objective 2: Improve traffic flow and increase safety of turning movements at intersections.

Objective 3: Avoid redundancy in parking and excessive pavement by encouraging combined parking facilities between businesses, recreation and entertainment outlets.

Objective 4: Reduce traffic volume by promoting public transportation to other activity centers such as other village districts and transportation nodes.

Issues

The East Acton Village is a ½ mile stretch along Great Road (Rt. 2A/119) beginning at the Concord border and running beyond Concord Road. The current configuration has a major effect on the circulation and safety within the village district. With the posted speed of 40 miles per hour, two feeder roads, numerous curb cuts and the Concord rotary only 1 mile to the east, the current traffic pattern presents multiple issues. Traffic safety is a factor that needs to increase, according to 50% of business respondents and 55% of residential respondents on the EAV surveys (Appendix H).

The EAV Transportation Study details many of these traffic issues. According to the study, the average traffic volume along the EAV section of Great Road varies from 19,000 to 23,500 vehicles per day. According to the Commonwealth’s 2000 Highway Capacity Manual, this traffic usage is 50% of the road’s capacity. The issue arises in EAV when the intersections are incorporated.

There are three major intersections in the Village. Appendix C details the results from the EAV Transportation Study. Specifically, during morning rush hour the Concord Road and Great Road intersection is at failure (Level-of-Service (LOS) = F) according to standards in the Massachusetts 2000 Highway Capacity Manual. This intersection also received a failure (F) grade on peak hours for Saturday. For the evening commute, the intersection received an E grade (one better than failure). The Pope Road and Great Road intersection received grades of “E” for all peak hours for both weekday and weekend. Lastly, the Wetherbee Street and Great Road received slightly better grades in the C to D range. The Keefe Road and Great Road intersection was not tested because it is a dead end street.

Recommendations and Implementation

As mentioned in Goal 1, EAVPC recommends that the speed limit in the EAV area be reduced to 35 MPH. According to accident statistics, the majority of accidents happen

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at off peak times when traffic is more likely to be flowing at the posted 45 MPH (Note: as of 2/1/03 Mass Highway reduced the posted speed limit to 40 MPH. No accident information is available for this reduced speed limit due to the infancy of the reduction). Further, the posted speed impacts the safety of pedestrian crossings. The EAVPC believes that MassHighway generally does not support crosswalks on roads with a posted speed of 40 MPH. Currently, pedestrians and bicyclists must dash across Great Road when there is a gap in traffic.

Along Great Road EAVPC recommends that a landscaped traffic calming transition section be installed at both the eastern and western boundaries of the village. The transition section would be a slow elimination of the breakdown lane on both sides of the road (a neck-down area). In this area drought and salt-tolerant landscape materials should be planted to give the driver a sense of transition into the village area. The transition area should coincide with the reduction of speed to 35 MPH. These landscaped areas should also house the East Acton Village gateway signs, which would be a further signal to the driver that they are entering the village area.

Between the landscaped transition areas, the EAVPC recommends that formal on-street parking be installed on Great Road. The committee believes that on-street parking is a feature that characterizes most village areas. It is a traffic calming measure in that it signals to drivers that they are in a village center. It makes most sense to be installed when sidewalks along Great Road are installed or improved and in conjunction with businesses located close to Great Road. Formal on-street parking is also recommended along the northeast side of Keefe Road. Currently, cars park on the dirt shoulder, so this would formalize the current practice and make it clearer to drivers where it is appropriate to park their vehicles.

To improve traffic safety, the EAVPC recommends the redesign of three of the four intersections in the village.

· Intersection of Great Road and Concord Road. At Great Road and Concord Road, four changes are suggested. First, the angle and slope of the intersection should be changed. The angle should be as close to 90 degrees as required for adequate safety. The current angle makes right hand turns from Great Road to Concord Road dangerous because of the sharp turn. The problem is magnified due to the slope of the intersection. Drivers exiting Concord Road stop on a hill at the top of Concord Road and find it difficult to maintain traction when accelerating onto Great Road. The problem is magnified during winter when there are ice and sand on the roadway.

Second, a dedicated left turn lane that extends further back on Concord Road than the current design will allow for better traffic movement. The current left turn lane can only hold two cars before merging into a single lane. Because left turning cars take significantly longer to turn, the right turning cars are delayed.

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Unless there is a traffic light, the EAVPC does not recommend including a left-turn lane for vehicles turning left from Great Road onto Concord Road because it conflicts with many of the objectives in this EAV plan. Such a lane would make it harder for pedestrians to cross Great Road, would be more dangerous for bicyclists traveling along Great Road, would require minor road widening that would conflict with the recommended small landscaped areas that mark the entrance to the village, and would conflict with the long-term goal of on-street parking in EAV. However, the EAVPC does recommend that the inclusion of a left-turn lane from Great Road to Concord Road be reconsidered if and when the intersection is redesigned to include a traffic light. It is important that the intersection be designed to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety, village character, and all the other goals of this plan, not just efficiency of traffic flow.

Third, to assist pedestrian safety and indicate to motorists where they should stop, a crosswalk across Great Road just west of Concord Road is recommended. This crosswalk is detailed in Goal 1 of this section. The crosswalk will likely slightly slow the flow of traffic in the Village. The EAVPC felt that the small impact on traffic flow would be more than offset by the safety of Acton’s residents. This is the most important crosswalk, as it allows residents from the neighborhoods south of Rt. 2A to walk to EAV destinations on the north side Rt. 2A.

Fourth, the EAVPC recommends that the next traffic light installed east of Rt. 27 be at Concord Road. The current accident rate does not support a traffic light at the Great Road and Concord Road intersection. (See the EAV Transportation Study, page 20.) However, the EAVPC expects that the increased traffic from current and future developments outside of the village will stress this intersection to a point that signalization will be required. Such a light would have benefits beyond just allowing shoppers better access to one mall; it would greatly improve pedestrian safety and movement of traffic to and from Concord Road. The light should have left hand turn lights for traffic on Concord Road turning left onto Great Road and Great Road turning left onto Concord Road. The light should have a walk light for pedestrians and bicyclists.

· Intersection of Great Road and Pope Road. The second intersection that the EAVPC recommends changing is the Great Road and Pope Road intersection. Five changes to Pope Road are recommended. First, Pope Road should have a marked left turn lane at its intersection with Great Road. It is difficult for traffic on Great Road to discern whether a driver on Pope Road is attempting to turn left or right. A left turn lane may eliminate some of this confusion and allow for better traffic flow.

Second, in an attempt to help reduce speed on Pope Road, a traffic hump (raised crosswalk) is recommended at the crosswalk across Pope Road at Bayberry Road. The hump is less pronounced than a speed bump but will warn drivers of the crosswalk and slow traffic that has turned off of Great Road by signaling the driver that Pope Road is a residential area. (For other crosswalk recommendations, see Transportation Goal 1.)

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Third, the speed limit on Pope Road should be reduced to 25 mph between Brabrook Road and Great Road. This will be consistent with Concord Road, where the speed limit is similarly reduced to 25 mph for traffic near Great Road.

Fourth, painted fog lines (white lines indicating the right-hand edge of the travel lane) are recommended for both sides of Pope Road. The EAVPC recommends that the fog lines run the full length of Pope Road. The painted fog lines will also act as a traffic calming measure by perceptually narrowing the roadway.

Fifth, as mentioned in Transportation Goal 2, signs indicating that Pope Road is a shared roadway for both vehicles and bicycles should be installed. Currently, Pope Road is a designated bike route for many local bicycling groups. While the committee feels that Pope Road is not wide enough to safely accommodate separate bike lanes, motorists and bicyclists should be reminded that both use this road heavily.

· Intersection of Great Road and Keefe Road. The last intersection that the EAVPC recommends changing is the Keefe Road and Great Road intersection. The road currently is at a difficult angle for vehicles to exit onto Great Road. It was recommended by the EAV Transportation Study that the intersection be changed to 90 degrees and the driveways at the beginning of Keefe Road be consolidated. This will minimize traffic confusion. Also, as stated above, formal on-street parking is recommended along the northeast side of Keefe Road.

The EAVPC also supports public transportation. Connecting EAV to the regional public transportation system would help village residents to commute by public transportation to destinations in Boston and Cambridge, and help people to arrive by public transportation to work or engage in other activities in EAV. This may · Reduce commuter vehicle trips and the resulting demand on Great Road and neighborhood feeder roads. · Reduce reverse commuter vehicle trips and EAV parking demand. · Increase pedestrian presence in EAV. · Alleviate parking demand at the South Acton and West Concord train stations and, as a result, increase the attractiveness of residing or providing a service in EAV.

The EAVPC encourages the establishment of an intermodal connection in EAV to link vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle, and bus modes of travel with commuter rail and/or subway. This will be most probably in the form of a local shuttle service that includes a stop at a focal point in EAV and a stop at a train or subway station. EAVPC recognizes that the current population density, modal connections, and public/private partnerships don’t yet exist to generate adequate ridership and funding but encourages the cultivation of these enabling factors.

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Recommended Strategies for Transportation and Infrastructure Goal T3 Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Limit street curb cuts for driveways and businesses, making their boundaries clear so pedestrians and Moderate, Property T3.1a drivers know where they are safe and Appendix A – PB, BOS, 2 months, Owners, PB, Medium Spring 2004 * where to be careful, and narrowing Article G MassHighway then EAVPC, the existing wide curb cuts. Where ongoing MassHighway wide driveways remain, consider installing crosswalks. Reduce speed limit on Great Road to 35 MPH from the town of Concord BOS, Major, 1 T3.1b High 2005 Highway border to ¼ mile west of Concord MassHighway day Road. Establish a crosswalk on Great Road just west of the intersection with Concord Road. Consider adding a Engineering, Reference 25, BOS, Major, 1 T3.1c pedestrian-operated stop light at this High 2005 Highway, Appendix C MassHighway week intersection. (See Transportation MassHighway Goal 1, Strategy 4a.) [page 66 of EAV Transportation Study] Recommend installation of a traffic light at Great Road and Concord Engineering, BOS, Major, 1 T3.1d Road. This should be the next traffic High 2005 Highway, MassHighway month light installed on Great Road east of MassHighway Rt. 27. Install a traffic hump and raised crosswalk on Pope Road at the Minor, 1 Highway, T3.1e Medium Appendix C Highway 2005 Bayberry Road intersection [page 55 week Engineering of EAV Transportation Study].

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Recommended Strategies for Transportation and Infrastructure Goal T3 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Require any new development or Moderate, T3.1f redevelopment to demonstrate how Appendix A – 2 months, Property Medium BOS, PB Spring 2004 * bicycles will safely travel through the Article G then Owners parking lot to bicycle racks. ongoing Reconfigure the Keefe Road intersection with Great Road, consolidating the driveways near the Engineering, BOS, Moderate, T3.1g intersection and creating a small Medium Appendix C 2007 Highway, MassHighway 1 month green space in front of 1 Keefe MassHighway Road[page 52 of EAV Transportation Study]. Establish a crosswalk on Great Road just west of the intersection with Keefe Road. Consider adding a Engineering, Reference 25, BOS, Major, 1 T3.1h pedestrian-operated stop light at this Low 2007 Highway, Appendix C MassHighway week intersection. (See Transportation MassHighway Goal 1, Strategy 4c.) [page 66 of EAV Transportation Study] Establish a crosswalk on Great Road just east of the intersection with Engineering, Wetherbee Street. (See Reference 25, BOS, Major, 1 T3.1i High 2005 Highway, Transportation Goal 1, Strategy 4b.) Appendix C MassHighway week MassHighway [page 66 of EAV Transportation Study]

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Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Install landscaped transition section on Great Road as part of the redesign of Keefe Road or near the Town of Engineering, Concord border that provides a Reference 24, BOS, Major, 2 T3.1j High 2007 Highway, “gateway” to EAV and slightly narrows Appendix C MassHighway weeks MassHighway the roadway at the entry point into EAV [page 54 of EAV Transportation Study]. Design and install landscaping at the East Acton Village Green and at the Highway, BOS, Minor, 2 T3.1k east end of the village to give a High Reference 24 2004, 2007 Municipal ConsCom weeks similar “Gateway” appearance on Properties both ends of the Village. Install EAV gateway signage at the EAV Green and at the beginning of Figure 6 of BOS, Moderate, Engineering, T3.1l High 2004, 2007 the landscaped transition area near Chapter 4 Highway 6 months MassHighway Keefe Road. Straighten Concord Road at Great Engineering, Road intersection with defined left BOS, Moderate, T3.2a High Appendix C 2006 Highway, turn lane on Concord Road [page 60 MassHighway 3 months MassHighway of EAV Transportation Study]. Reduce the slope of the intersection Engineering, BOS, Moderate, T3.2b of Concord Road at Great Road [page High Appendix C 2006 Highway, MassHighway 3 months 60 of EAV Transportation Study]. MassHighway Recommend installation of a traffic light at Great Road and Concord Engineering, BOS, Major, 1 T3.2c Road. This should be the next traffic High 2005 Highway, MassHighway month light installed on Great Road east of MassHighway Rt. 27.

Chapter 5 – Transportation and Infrastructure Page 125 Recommended Strategies for Transportation and Infrastructure Goal T3 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Engineering, Define a left turn lane on Pope Road BOS, Moderate, T3.2d Medium 2005 Highway, at its intersection with Great Road. MassHighway 2 weeks MassHighway Paint shoulder striping (“Fog lines”) Minor, 2 Engineering, T3.2e Medium BOS 2005 along the edges of Pope Road. days Highway Amend the Zoning Bylaw for EAV to reduce required parking within EAV Zoning District to 50% of that See the Village T3.3a presently required if shared parking is Character and Moderate, High BOS, TM Spring 2004 PB, EAVPC * used and reduce the parking Housing 2 months requirement in the EAV-2 district to Chapter 70% of that presently required if shared parking is used. 2006 or with Engineering, Install on-street parking in EAV BOS, Minor, 3 T3.3b High ongoing Highway, Zoning District along Great Road. MassHighway days development MassHighway Install on-street parking on the Minor, 1 Engineering, T3.3c Medium BOS 2007 northeast side of Keefe Road. day Highway Grade and re-gravel the parking area Engineering, at Ice House Pond to support vehicles Minor, 1 Highway, T3.3d parking to use the East Acton Village Medium BOS 2006 week Municipal Green and the Bruce Freeman Rail Properties Trail. Recommend the completion of a As bicycle parking area on Wetherbee Street on usage the State Police Equestrian Facility to BOS, State Major, 2 requires Engineering, T3.3e Low support traffic for the Bruce Freeman Police months increased Highway Rail Trail and the conservation land parking on Wetherbee St. facilities

Chapter 5 – Transportation and Infrastructure Page 126 Recommended Strategies for Transportation and Infrastructure Goal T3 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Support the implementation of a Major, T3.4a regional public transportation system Low BOS, TM Ongoing BOS ongoing as conditions make it feasible.

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Goal T4: Increase accessibility to public facilities and utility services.

The East Acton Village Planning Committee believes that managing growth and controlling allowable uses of property are best accomplished through zoning. Infrastructure, such as public facilities, utilities, and services, should be provided as needed to support new development allowed by zoning within the East Acton Village Zoning District.

For the most part, the committee does not see big issues in meeting infrastructure needs. However, there are a few areas, such as wastewater treatment and water, that warrant specific objectives and strategies, as described below.

Objective 1: Encourage environmentally responsible wastewater treatment options.

Issues, Recommendations, and Implementation

In East Acton, most properties are currently served by private on-site wastewater treatment systems. Systems are regulated under 310 CMR 15.000 (Title 5) and Acton Board of Health Regulations. Each lot contains its own system serving the building or buildings located on that lot. If a system will have a design flow of 10,000 gallons per day or greater, a groundwater discharge permit issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection will be required. This usually necessitates the construction of a complete wastewater treatment facility. In East Acton, the Lifecare Center is the only property served by its own wastewater treatment plant.

On-site wastewater treatment systems can have a variety of problems. Some soils have inadequate infiltrative capacity to dispose of and treat certain flows of effluent from a septic tank. Wastewater treatment systems need to be maintained by pumping and inspection of filtering devices. Even when properly maintained, wastewater treatment systems have limited lives and must be replaced, repaired, or upgraded. These systems have the potential for polluting groundwater. (See the Environmental section of this plan for more details on the environmental concerns raised by traditional wastewater treatment systems.) Lastly, because of the shallow depth to groundwater, certain systems have to be “mounded.” This can create an unsightly topographical feature out of character with the Village.

Some desirable and allowed businesses that happen to have high wastewater requirements are limited or are not feasible in East Acton Village due to inadequate areas for leaching fields. A good example is restaurants. Residents and business owners in East Acton were asked, “If properties become available in or near the current East Acton Village Zoning District, which of the following potential uses would be desirable?” “Restaurants” was the second most desirable potential use chosen by residents: 59% rated restaurants as desirable. “Restaurants” was the most desirable potential use chosen by business owners:

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74% rated restaurants as desirable. (See Appendix H for complete survey results.) Currently, limited land area for onsite wastewater treatment and disposal makes it difficult or impossible to locate more restaurants in East Acton Village. Existing restaurants may not be able to increase their number of seats. A similar limitation exists for other water-intensive uses, such as hair salons and residential units.

To allow properties in the Village District to be developed to the degree allowed by zoning, additional appropriate, environmentally responsible wastewater treatment options should be made feasible. Increased development will likely require an increase in the need for offsite wastewater treatment and disposal solutions, as individual wastewater treatment systems to serve the increased development would be greatly limited by the absence of available land area and/or the less than ideal soil conditions.

Inclusion within the existing sewer district is probably not feasible because of its distance from East Acton and the difficulty of crossing Route 2. However, the committee supports other smaller, environmentally responsible solutions such as shared wastewater treatment systems or a small new East Acton sewer district. The committee agrees with the Master Plan (page 193) in recommending that the town “plan and implement appropriate shared wastewater systems in East Acton.” The town’s Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan currently underway by Woodard and Curran should be used to guide the planning for East Acton Village.

In some parts of East Acton Village, developing wastewater management systems that are shared by multiple parcels with multiple owners may be among the most cost-effective and environmentally appropriate solutions. It is difficult for property owners and developers to build shared systems because legally there must be a governing body (for example, a town wastewater management body or a condominium association) to manage the shared resource, and there must be financial securities to ensure continued operation and maintenance of the shared resource. Condominium associations may be appropriate for properties already jointly owned, but they are very difficult to put in place for separate properties with separate owners. Therefore, the committee supports the creation of a town wastewater management body so that the most appropriate wastewater treatment options are available to East Action Village.

Objective 2: Provide adequate drinking water to East Acton.

Issues, Recommendations, and Implementation

The Water Supply District of Acton (WSDA) currently supplies Town water to 97% of the businesses and residents in Acton. Either private wells or Concord Water Supply (CWS) provides the remaining 3%. EAV, however, has the majority of its

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parcels (26) supplied by CWS. CWS maintains a 16-inch water main that runs from Nagog Pond down Great Road from Brook Street to the Concord town line.

CWS has indicated that it will continue to supply water to these locations even if the owner redevelops the property. However, they will not allow new connections, nor will they allow current customers in Acton to increase the size of the pipe that connects the property to the water main. If the current pipe is not sufficient to supply the necessary water for a proposed development, the owner will be required to look to WSDA to supply the water. WSDA has its own water main along Great Road from Concord Road to Wetherbee Street. This water main was recently installed and not all EAV property owners have connected to WSDA. Given the WSDA water main from Wetherbee Street west to Concord Road, EAVPC believes this portion of the village has sufficient water to support future redevelopment.

EAVPC does recommend the extension of the WSDA water main easterly along Great Road to the Concord town line (estimate 1,100 linear feet) and down Keefe Road (estimated 600 linear feet). WSDA has provided cost guidelines in its 2001 Water System Master Plan Update. According to their figures, as a general guide, the cost would be approximately $350,000 to cover this area. Note that this figure is just a rough estimate. Costs can and do vary significantly depending on specific local conditions. There may be costs associated with the fact that Great Road is a state road and therefore additional requirements and permits may be applicable. WSDA, per its charter, will not pay to extend the main unless it has benefits to the existing users. In this light, it is unlikely that the WSDA will pay for the expansion. However, it is EAVPC’s belief that the cost would not prohibit redevelopment. Any redevelopment location closer to Wetherbee Street would only need to extend the main to their property. Any minor redevelopment would likely not require greater water needs so the owner could stay with CWS.

EAVPC also examined the potential water drain on WSDA if the 26 EAV properties were connected to Town water. According to James Deming, District Manager for WSDA, in 2002 WSDA was permitted by DEP to withdraw 2.02 MGD (million gallons per day) of water. The actual water usage was 1.90 MGD. Further, Mr. Deming stated that the 2002 WSDA usage was higher than normal. A major leak at the Rt. 2 and Rt. 27 interchange and an open valve to Maynard’s Water Supply caused a spike in usage. Mr. Deming estimates 2003 water usage at 1.6 MGD – 1.7 MGD. WSDA has never exceeded the permitted usage in any calendar year. Mr. Deming stated that Acton’s per capita usage is quite low and DEP has used Acton as a positive example in many DEP reports.

Mr. Deming does not believe that an inclusion of EAV properties into the WSDA would cause a water shortage even if water usage in EAV doubled. The 2002 WSDA usage still leaves 120,000 gallons per day unused per the permit. EAV properties on CWS total approximately 20,000 gallons per day (based on data

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from 2001, supplied by WSDA), which is less than 1% of the overall Town usage. If redevelopment doubled the usage this would still be well within the water supply already available.

Overall, EAVPC does recommend the expansion of the WSDA water main east of Wetherbee Street to the Town line and down Keefe Road. Property owners and the Town should work together to insure that EAV can be transformed into the village concept outlined in this plan. It is EAVPC’s belief that once significant redevelopment begins, the extension of the water main (if necessary) will not be a major deterrent.

Objective 3: Assure that other utilities are adequately provided to East Acton.

Issues, Recommendations, and Implementation

East Acton is presently served by several utilities. On the survey of East Acton business owners (see Appendix H for complete results), the level of satisfaction with natural gas, electricity, telephone, and cable TV was generally good; these utilities appear to meet the needs of the business community. Therefore, the committee has no specific infrastructure recommendations related to them. However, the committee does support the village character recommendations that all utility wires (electrical, telephone, cable) be buried along Great Road and throughout the village. Although this will take time and coordination with the State, the committee believes it will improve aesthetics and not be a detriment to future development.

The number one infrastructure need, expressed by 45% of business owners in the EAV survey, was for high-speed Internet service. Comcast has now provided this service throughout Acton for residences, and also offers a business connection service in all locations that are close to an existing cable wire, so the need appears to have been adequately met in EAV.

There have been some complaints that cellular telephone service is weak in some parts of the East Acton area. The committee expects cell-phone companies to resolve the slight “dead spots” as they hear from customers.

As the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is built and the village becomes more pedestrian-friendly, the committee recommends two additional infrastructure improvements. First, for safety, ensure that there are enough high-visibility emergency pull-boxes located along the rail trail and at a few high-visibility locations in the village. And second, for comfort, install public restroom facilities. Public restrooms will require a method of wastewater disposal. This could be connecting to a future sewer system, the installation of a conventional on-site wastewater-treatment system, or the use of a composting toilet in conjunction with a graywater treatment and disposal system much like those in use at some state parks and roadside facilities.

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Recommended Strategies for Transportation and Infrastructure Goal T4

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Major, Plan and implement appropriate shared Reference T4.1a High BOS, TM several 2008 BOH wastewater systems in East Acton. 4 years Support the creation of a town wastewater Major, management body so that the most appropriate Reference BOS, T4.1b Medium several 2008 BOS, BOH wastewater treatment options are available to 48 BOH years East Acton Village. Developers, Water Encourage the extension of Acton water to Water Supply Moderate, T4.2a areas in East Acton currently served by Concord Medium Ongoing Supply District of ongoing water. District of Acton Acton Encourage adequate cellular service to East Moderate, Cell phone T4.3a Medium BOS Ongoing Acton. ongoing companies Fire, Police, Encourage high-visibility fireboxes and/or Municipal BOS, emergency phones throughout the village and at Moderate, Properties, T4.3b High Fire, 2006 places like the rail trail and the Village Green to ongoing Natural Police ensure public safety. Resources, Highway Municipal Properties, Construct public toilet facilities at rail trail and BOS, Moderate, T4.3c Low 2006 Natural other appropriate areas as needed. BOH 2 months Resources, BOH

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CHAPTER 6: ENVIRONMENT, OPEN SPACE, AND RECREATION

Henry David Thoreau once said “a river touching the back of a town is like a wing. River towns are winged towns”4. On a more local scale, a citizen at an EAVPC public input meeting observed that “water, tourists and colleges create villages” 5 indeed EAV’s original development in the seventeenth century was due to the presence of Nashoba Brook. Actonians have expressed concern about the general environment in East Acton. While there were no questions directly relating to environmental preservation, Question 7 of the Spring 2001 EAV residential public input survey generated these responses: 60% of respondents wanted an increased level of aesthetics in the village area, 58% an increase in landscaping, 72% an increase in open space and parks, and 57% wanted better pedestrian access6, demonstrating a mandate for a “greener” area. This section defines the goals and objectives relating to water quality, air quality, open space and outdoor recreation, and suggests strategies for implementation of these goals.

The contemporary creation of village districts is a manifestation of the Smart Growth and Sustainable Development movements, which essentially seek to establish community-enhancing, economically viable, and environmentally friendly areas. The Smart Growth principles addressed in this section of the East Acton Village Plan are:

v Mixing land uses v Fostering distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place v Preserving open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas v Creating walkable communities7

Sustainable Development “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.8 This philosophy was summarized in1992 into nine basic components known as the Hannover Principles. These include:

v Insist on rights of humanity and nature to co-exist in a healthy supportive, diverse and sustainable condition.

4 Thoreau, Henry David, Journal, July 2, 1858 5 EAVPC Public information input meeting notes, www.town.acton.ma.us/eav 6 EAV Residential Survey Results, www.town.acton.ma.us/eav 7 Smart Growth Network/International City/County Management Association, “Getting to Smart Growth: 100 Policies for Implementation”, January, 2002 8 United Nations’ World Commission on Environment and Development, the Brundtland Commission, “our Common Future” 1987

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v Recognize interdependence. The elements of human design interact with and depend upon the natural world, with broad and diverse implications at every scale. Expand design considerations to recognizing even distant effects. v Accept responsibility for the consequences of design decisions upon human well-being, the viability of natural systems and their right to co-exist. v Understand the limitations of design. No human creation lasts forever and design does not solve all problems. Those who create and plan should practice humility in the fact of nature. Treat nature as a model and mentor, not as an inconvenience to be evaded or controlled. 9

The implementations of these principles are symbiotic. Preservation of open space along the Nashoba Brook riparian (streamside) corridor that enhances water quality in the brook and Ice House Pond also provides an area for passive recreation; creating a walkable district decreases motor vehicle traffic, thereby enhancing air quality; design standards that encourage attractiveness encourage the creation of landscaped areas that can be planted to treat parking lot runoff and foster wildlife.

Concepts presented in this section of the East Acton Village Plan primarily come from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program, the Low Impact Development (LID) Center, the Massachusetts Riverways Program, Acton’s Open Space and Recreation Plan 2002-2007 (OSRP), and other sources as cited. LEED and LID are described in more detail below.

Based on the Hannover Principles, LEED Green Building Rating System “is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED was created to

v Define ‘green building’ by establishing a common standard of measurement v Promote integrated, whole-building design practices v Recognize environmental leadership in the building industry v Stimulate green competition v Raise consumer awareness of green building benefits v Transform the building market

LEED provides a complete framework for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals. Based on well-founded scientific standards, LEED emphasizes state of the art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. LEED recognizes achievements and promotes expertise in green building through a comprehensive

9 William McDonough Architects, 1992

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system offering project certification, professional accreditation, training and practical resources.”10

Any development or redevelopment in the EAV area complies with the intent of LEED- NC certification, as EAV is an area “with existing infrastructure.”11 (See Appendix L)

Low Impact Development (LID) promotes “an ecologically friendly approach to site development and storm water management that aims to mitigate development impacts to land, water and the air. The approach emphasizes the integration of site design and planning techniques that conserve the natural systems and hydrologic functions of a site.”12

Open space is an integral part of a healthy village environment, as manifested both in “pocket parks” that lend visual interest and respite for pedestrians as well as mini- refuges for local wildlife, and in larger tracts of land used for active and passive recreation. Acton’s OSRP incorporates the goals of MetroGreen, the land resources protection element of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) regional development plan13, which are:

v “To preserve and protect critical land resources v To shape the growth of the region v To help preserve and enhance a “sense of place” for the region v To fulfill the recreational needs of the region’s population and to provide access, when appropriate, to protected open areas.” 14 (See Reference 5)

Methods to preserve land for open space and recreation that were considered for the greater EAV area include Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs), Purchase of Development Rights (PDRs), outright municipal purchase of a property, and Conservation Restrictions (CRs)15. Recommended methods to prioritize land for open space preservation include use of the OSRP’s list of desirable properties and use of the “Green-Space Acquisition Ranking Program (GARP)”.16 While this document addresses issues in the East Acton Village area, it would be appropriate to employ such methodology town-wide.

10 http://www.usgbc.org/LEED/LEED_main.asp 11 US Green Building Council, LEED 2.1, page 3 12 NAHB Research Center, Builder’s Guide to Low Impact Development (pamphlet) 13 OSRP, p 20 14 Ibid. 15 See the Open Space goals and objectives of this document for further information. 16 Grant Ian Thrall, Bert Swanson, Dom Nozzi, “Green Space acquisition and ranking program (GARP): a computer assisted decision strategy”, Computers, Environment, and Urban Systems, Vol. 12, pp. 161-184 This computerized ranking system utilizes a list of 15 criteria that are inserted into spreadsheets for easy parcel-to-parcel comparison. See Appendix Q of this Plan.

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Goal E1: Protect and improve the quality and quantity of groundwater and surface water resources in the East Acton Village Area.

Objective 1: Encourage development and redevelopment in the East Acton Village area that will not negatively impact EAV water resources, including the use of stormwater management methods and wastewater disposal methods that minimize adverse environmental impact. Objective 2: Facilitate, support, and /or maintain awareness of the cleanup of contaminated (21E) sites and other conditions that may pose a threat to ground and surface water in East Acton Village. Objective 3: Support efforts to minimize both point and non-point source pollution, including nonpoint source pollution associated with motor vehicle traffic. Encourage environmentally sound business practices as a means to this end.

Issues

“Acton’s greatest environmental problem, water, is the frame in which our future will take place”.17

Acton’s Master Plan Update includes as goals protect and sustain Acton’s natural environment and resources, with an objective of ensuring the restoration of polluted environmental resources.18

The East Acton Village District straddles Great Road. To the northeast of the Village District is Pope Road Hill, and to the southwest are Nashoba Brook and Ice House Pond. Soils within the District consist of sand and gravel deposits to a depth of 50 feet with a high water transmissivity (ability to transmit water through the soil) rate (see Map 2 in Chapter 2)19. Most parcels are deemed suitable for on-site wastewater disposal systems, although two parcels, one abutting the Village and one within, require mounded leaching areas due to high groundwater 20. The Acton Health Department monitors Nashoba Brook in East Acton Village on a regular basis for bacterial count 21.

The Nashoba Brook Watershed is a 48 square mile area. The brook starts in Littleton and runs through Westford and Acton before joining Fort Pond Brook by Warner’s Pond in Concord. The EAV area is in the southeast corner of subbasin NB1, a 1,615 acre section of the watershed (see Map 3 in Chapter 2). Nashoba Brook is a cold water habitat perennial stream, annually stocked with trout by Massachusetts Fish & Wildlife.

17 Acton Open Space and Recreation Plan, p. 5 18 Acton Master Plan Update, p 41 19 Woodard and Curran, Draft Acton Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan. 20 Ibid 21 Per Brent Reagor, RS, Acton Health Dept.

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“There is evidence indicating Nashoba Brook and associated ground and surface water resources in the basin may already be impaired by existing water withdrawals and effective impervious surfaces. For example, a report issued by the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission (MWRC) in December 2001 titled Stressed Basins In Massachusetts classified the Nashoba Brook basin as hydrologically stressed. The purpose of the stressed basin classification is to flag areas which may require a more comprehensive and detailed review of environmental impacts or require additional mitigation.”22

Ice House Pond is an artificial impoundment of Nashoba Brook, first dammed in the 18 th century. It is a Class B water body, so designated for protection and propagation of fish and other wildlife, and for primary or secondary recreation. It is periodically stocked with trout for sport fishing purposes. The Master Plan Update notes that the pond is “still a major wildlife area, especially for waterfowl.”23 Occasional spikes of fecal coliform bacteria counts in Ice House Pond, however, render it of questionable use for swimming. The Pond’s shallow depth and small size (12 acres) makes it unsuitable for powerboating, but it is a favored site for ice skating, fishing and canoeing. Ice House Pond suffers from continued eutrophication due to the high nutrient load from nearby and upstream wastewater systems and runoff. The shallow depth of the pond (3 feet before a dredging project, 5 feet after) 24 leave the water body vulnerable to bottom- rooting aquatic plants. Per “The Ice House Pond Report”, in 1992, the pond was host to one of the worst infestations of water chestnut, trapa notans, on record. Probes showed sediment 2 feet deep and anoxic (no oxygen available in the water for breakdown bacteria) conditions led to incomplete degradation of plant debris. The nutrient load from decaying vegetation with effluent from private on-site wastewater disposal systems led to cultural eutrophication (filling in) of the pond.25 The pond was dredged in the late 1990’s and continues to be monitored. Unfortunately, as water chestnut is spread by many vectors, including seeds lodged in waterfowl feathers, it will be nearly impossible to completely eradicate the invasive alien plant and continual monitoring and weeding is required.

Several properties near East Acton Village, on Wetherbee Street and Pope, Flagg and Brabrook Roads, depend on private potable water supply wells. Several commercial properties along Nashoba Brook, most notably East Acton Mobil and Bursaw Gas and Oil, possess underground storage tanks that contain oil, gasoline, or other hazardous materials.

To mitigate the adverse effects of human activities and improve the general quality of ground and surface water, the Clean Water Act requires that several steps, both structural and educational must be taken.26 Proven technologies known as Best

22 Letter from Julia Blatt, Executive Director, Organization for the Assabet River, to Kurt Jacobson, MADEP, February 14, 2003. 23 Master Plan Update p 165 24 T. Tidman, Ice House Pond Report, 1/93, conversation with Town Staff 25 T Tidman, Ice House Pond Report, 1/93 26 SmartGrowth and the Clean Water Act

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 137

Management Practices (BMPs) and Integrated Management Practices (IMPs) need to be designed keeping the New England climate, the low-lying topography of the EAV area, and the proposed density of a village setting in mind. A holistic approach to environmental issues in the village district is desirable, including a mix of stormwater management solutions, innovative wastewater treatment, and “integrated sustainable design”27 in building construction and business practices as outlined in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. The Facility Managers’ Institute News, Spring 2003 Issue, quotes the USGBC (US Green Building Council) as follows: “Smart business people recognize that high performance green buildings produce more than just a cleaner, healthier environment. They also positively impact the bottom line. Benefits include: better use of building materials, significant operational savings and increased workplace productivity.28

Water quality preservation steps applicable to the East Acton Village District are discussed below.

Recommendations

Objective 1: Encourage development and redevelopment in the East Acton Village area that will not negatively impact EAV water resources, including the use of wastewater disposal methods that minimize adverse environmental impact.

· Reduce Impervious Cover. Research has shown that stream degradation occurs at relatively low levels of impervious cover (10-20%) and 30% or more impervious cover can be “quite damaging.”29 Impervious cover includes paved areas, decks and rooftops. “Imperviousness is one of the few variables that can be explicitly quantified, managed and controlled at each stage of development.”30 In the Zoning Bylaw the required minimum for Collective Use of Parking Facilities in EAV should be 50% of the unshared parking requirement, and the required minimum for unshared parking should be reduced to 70% of the standard requirement. Other recommended methods to reduce impervious surfaces include shared driveways, angled parking, and taller buildings (taking up a smaller portion of the lot). 31 LEED standards dictate that a developer “Size parking capacity to meet, but not exceed, minimum local zoning requirements….”32 (LEED Credit 4.4) and that building footprints be reduced (LEED Credit 5.2).

27 energydesignresource.com e-news, Issue 5, April 29, 2000 28 Sticky, Nick, “Buildings for a Livable Future”, the FMI News Spring 2003 29 InternationalCity/County Management Association with Geoff Anderson, “Why Smart Growth: A Primer” 30 Site Planning for Urban Stream Protection, www.cwp.org/SPSP 31 Ibid 32 US Green Building Council, LEED – Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, Green Building Rating System Version 2.1, Revised 3/03 p. 8

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 138

· Encourage the use of TDRs with the brook side of Great Road as sending area and the opposite side of Great Road as receiving area. Most of the southwest section of East Acton Village lies within the legal riparian (stream side) zone of Nashoba Brook, a perennial stream. Regulations promulgated pursuant to the Rivers Act (MGL c 258, Acts of 1996) and the Wetlands Protection Act, (310 CMR 10.00) may restrict development possibilities in this area. It would benefit both the sending district in terms of maintaining water quality and complying with regulations, and the receiving district in terms of allowing greater density, to facilitate the intra-village Transfer of Development Rights process. Also, by being allowed to sell development rights that could not otherwise be exercised, the streamside property owners reap financial benefits.

· Encourage site plan design that, where possible, sets a pervious area aside for snow stockpiling at the farthest possible distance from water bodies or wetlands. Spring snowmelt has a particularly high level of pollutants, as an entire winter’s buildup of salt and other pollutants in snow are released over a short time span. Further, acid snow can accumulate over the winter months…when it melts in spring, an entire season’s acid content is released. This large pulse of pollution creates an acid shock in small streams and pools.”33 To protect water bodies, snow storage should be as far from the stream as possible and should be placed on a pervious surface so that the snowmelt can be filtered through vegetation and soils before reaching streams, ponds or wetlands.

· Encourage site plan design that, where possible, and particularly in or near the riparian (streamside) zone of Nashoba Brook, provide shade over parking areas in order to keep runoff cool. “Cold water can hold more oxygen than warm water….this keeps trout, salmon and other oxygen- lovers happy”34. Heated runoff adversely impacts the ability of a water body to hold oxygen, adversely impacting resident creatures in the brook. Parking lots will need to be designed to accommodate the root systems of larger trees. (LEED Credit 7.1 – Heat Island Effect, Non-Roof)

· Educate the public as to the importance of high quality water bodies. Public education is a part of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) process currently undertaken by several municipal departments. Private organizations in the Greater Acton area, including the Stream Teams, Organization for the Assabet River, Clean Water Action, and Acton Citizens for Environmental Safety advocate for clean water. Ultimately the success of responsible water policy depends on the support of individuals in town and in the EAV area. Education about the significance of clean water

33 Beck, Gregor Gilpin and Dobson, Clive. Watersheds: A Practical Handbook for Healthy Water, 1999 34 Ibid

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 139

bodies to the health of the community and the impact of individuals’ actions on water quality is an essential component of clean water policy.

· Encourage the use of advanced wastewater treatment technologies. Several new technologies have made on-site wastewater disposal systems environmentally friendlier than in years past. 310 CMR 15.281(1) (Title 5) notes that “Alternative systems, when properly designed, constructed, operated and maintained, may provide enhanced protection of public health, safety, welfare and the environment” (LEED Credit 2).

· Where possible and appropriate, encourage the use of shared wastewater treatment systems. In a village setting where clustering of buildings and collective use of parking is desired, shared systems may be appropriate. Title 5, Section 15.290(1) states “An approving authority may allow the use of shared systems, subject to any special conditions…for upgrade of existing systems, for new construction, or for increased flow to an existing system.” The additional regulatory and legal work required for the installation of shared systems may prove, in the long term, worthwhile.

· Establish a decentralized wastewater management body. East Acton Village, with its potential for shared wastewater treatment systems, could become a decentralized wastewater management district, administered by the appropriate agency (e.g. a Board of Health or a Sewer Commission). One function of this entity is to plug the regulatory gap between municipal treatment plants, regulated directly by the DEP, and the small system that is subject to state-mandated standards but is difficult to manage locally by the property owner. In this fashion the agency is charged, at the local level, with regulatory and enforcement functions similar to the DEP. This entity may also be charged with hands-on operational and service oriented tasks, much like a local sewer authority or DPW.35

35 Shephard, Frank C., “Managing Wastewater” Prospects in Massachusetts for a Decentralized Approach – A discussion of options and requirements”. April 1996

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Objective 2: Facilitate, support, and /or maintain awareness of the cleanup of polluted sites and other conditions that may pose a threat to ground and surface water in East Acton Village.

· Inform developers or redevelopers interested in property in the EAV area of documents indicating the location of any substantial releases of oil or hazardous material and the contaminant plume locations (if any). These documents are available, per the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (310 CMR 40.00), in the Health Department. Information about any nearby releases of oil or hazardous material should be made available to individuals inquiring as to the purchase and/or development of property in EAV. These individuals may also be referred to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup (MADEP BWSC) website for information, at http://www.state.ma.us/dep/bwsc/sitelist.htm.

· Educate the Public via articles in the Municipal Quarterly and elsewhere regarding significant releases of oil or hazardous materials in EAV (as well as other areas of Acton). Certain public notices are required per the Massachusetts Contingency Plan.

· Support local nongovernmental organizations via information sharing and other means in their efforts to maintain awareness of the status of local releases. These organizations currently include but are not limited to Acton Citizens for Environmental Safety (ACES), Acton Stream Teams, and Organization for the Assabet River (OAR), and the SuAsCo Watershed Community Council.

Objective 3: Support efforts to minimize both point and non-point source pollution, including nonpoint source pollution associated with motor vehicle traffic.

“Stormwater quality tends to be extremely variable (EPA 1983; Driscoll et all 1990). The intensity (volume or mass of precipitation per unit of time) of rainfall often varies irregularly and dramatically. These variations in rainfall intensity affect … phenomena that collectively determine the pollutant concentrations, pollutant forms, and [stormwater] flow rate observed at a given monitoring location at any given moment….In addition, the complexity of introducing a structural management practice can greatly affect hydraulics and constituent concentrations in complex ways….Effluent quality is the best current measure of overall BMP performance.”36

36 EPA-821-C-02-005, Urban Stormwater BMP Performance Monitoring: A Guidance Manual for Meeting the National Stormwater BMP Database Requirements, 4/02

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Massachusetts Stormwater Policy and Regulations dictate that “no stormwater conveyances may discharge untreated stormwater or cause erosion in wetlands or waters, and peak discharge rates may not be more after than before development.” 37

The New England climate presents particular design challenges to stormwater systems, including:

v extreme cold can cause pipes to burst v thick layers of ice can form on top of some BMP structures v cold weather creates anoxic conditions on pond bottoms due to water density – water is densest at 39°F v particulate matter settles more slowly in cold, dense water v frost heaves cause structures to crack v spring melt causes high runoff volume v sand in snow piles can smother or fill structural BMPs 38

· To ensure consistency, incorporate Massachusetts Stormwater Management Policies in their entirety into the Acton Zoning Bylaw.

· Design stormwater best management practices (BMPs) and Integrated Management Practices (IMPs) to work effectively in the New England climate. The Acton Engineering Department oversees the design of stormwater systems. While open channels, ponds, and constructed wetlands are considered the most effective BMPs for colder climates, 39 they may not be compatible with the space constraints of a village district. Inline stormwater treatment devices, followed by subsurface infiltration beds that may be located under parking areas, may be worth exploring in the future, pending the final recommendations of the Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan and the Stormwater Management Plan.

· Ensure that the design of structural stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Integrated Management Practices (IMPs) are compatible with both Massachusetts standards and a village setting.

Elements of a village setting that can impact the choice of stormwater BMPs include:

§ Village districts are somewhat dense. Space constraints can render some stormwater BMPs (such as detention basins) incompatible with other features of a village district. Detention basins need to be carefully integrated with other features of the village. Some Low Impact Development (LID) stormwater management techniques, referred to as

37 B. Eisenberg, “Massachusetts Stormwater Management Policy/Regulations: Development, Implementation and Refinement” 38 Center for Watershed Protection, “Cold Climate Stormwater” www.cwp.org 39 Ibid

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Integrated Management Practices (IMPs) may be appropriate for village districts. IMPs reduce runoff by integrating stormwater controls throughout the site in many small, discrete units.40 Rooftop runoff can be manageable through storage, reuse (such as dry wells or rainbarrels), and/or redirection to pervious surfaces.41 Vegetated rooftops that mitigate roof runoff have been installed as far north as Toronto, Canada 42 (LEED 6.1). § Village districts need to be pedestrian-friendly. Installation of attractive bioretention areas in parking lots should be encouraged to trap and mitigate runoff from upgradient impervious surfaces. “Bioretention utilizes soils and both woody and herbaceous plants to remove pollutants from stormwater runoff.”43 A study in Maryland has shown that a $4,500 retrofit of a 38x12 foot vegetated island can treat the pollutants in a half-acre of parking lot.44 Bioretention areas may be sited in such a way as to aid in traffic calming and encourage pedestrian use of the village. They may be adjacent to and connecting with vegetated areas on the perimeter of a lot. § Village districts should have open spaces for public gatherings. Pedestrian plazas may be grassed or perviously paved, which encourages stormwater infiltration instead of generating runoff. § Village districts should have regularly spaced items of visual interest (landscaping, store windows, architectural details, benches, etc). Streetscapes may be designed to minimize, capture and reuse stormwater runoff. Planting spaces should be provided in site plans to promote healthy street trees while capturing and treating stormwater.

More traditional stormwater BMPs may also be appropriate for some of the densely developed sites in the village district, or a mixture of BMPs or IMPs could serve as well. Stormwater Management Standards dictate that BMPs, to the extent practicable, must include an extended detention pond, a water quality swale, dry wells for rooftop runoff, and sand or organic filter pretreatment devices.45 It may be desirable to construct shared stormwater management facilities in order to promote pedestrian and traffic flow and to lend an appropriate village ambiance.

· Implement non-structural stormwater BMPs. Non-structural BMPs should be a part of an overall stormwater management plan. These include:

40 Low Impact Development Strategies: An Integrated Design Approach 41 Redevelopment Roundtable Consensus Agreement – Smart Site Practices for Redevelopment and Infill Projects 42 EPA-841-B-00-005D, Vegetated Roof Cover, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 43 USEPA Storm Water Technology Fact Sheet: Bioretention. EPA 832-F-99-012, September 1999. Also see Appendix M in this Plan. 44 EPA-841-B-00-005A, Bioretention Applications 45 MADEP, Stormwater Management Vol. 1, 3/97

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§ Education – efforts to inform the public and businesses about the importance of protecting stormwater from inappropriate use, storage and disposal of pollutants, toxics, household products, etc. The ultimate goal is behavioral change. Educational efforts include meetings, brochures and pamphlets, seminars, etc. The Board of Health, the Conservation Commission, and local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are of great assistance in educational efforts. § Maintenance – regular catch basin cleaning, street and parking lot sweeping, road and pavement repair, and ditch cleaning should be practiced by the Acton Highway Department and private property owners. § Source control – keeping rainfall from contacting pollutant-laden surfaces and preventing pollutant-laden runoff from leaving the site 46

· Implement pet waste clean-up program. Dog waste is a potent potential source of bacterial and nutrient pollution, as well as a general aesthetic nuisance. Surveys have indicated that most pet owners do not realize that pet wastes contribute to nutrients to local water bodies. 47 The pet waste issue is a town-wide problem and promulgation of regulations may be appropriate. Installation of pet waste receptacles in public green spaces is an effective but maintenance-intensive control measure. Signage installation can also be an effective part of an education campaign. Societal influences that may encourage “pooper-scoopers” include personally directed complaints from community members, sanitary collection methods, convenient disposal locations, and fines.48

· Encourage participation in the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System. LEED Credit 6.1 deals with Stormwater Management: Rate and Quantity. The LEED intent is to “limit disruption and pollution of natural water flows by managing stormwater runoff”.49

· Ban non-emergency internal combustion engines used in or on Ice House Pond. “Gasoline and oil entering our waterways is a major problem because most outboard motors are two-stroke engines, “which release up to 20 to 30 percent of their gas/oil mixture unburned directly into the water.” 50

46 Ibid p 178 47 Center for Watershed Protection, “A Survey of Residential Nutrient Behavior in the Chesapeake Bay”, July, 1999 48 Ibid 49 LEED Guide p. 11 50 EPA NE: Question of the Month: Do Motorboat Engines Cause Water Pollution? www.epa.gov/region01/questions/archive/200106_boatpollution.html

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 144 Recommended Strategies for Environment, Open Space and Recreation Goal E1

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Amend Zoning Bylaw to reduce parking required within the EAV Village District to E1.1a 50% of that presently required if shared Appendix A Moderate, High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * parking is used and reduce the unshared – Article I 2 months parking in the EAV-2 district to 70% of that presently required if shared parking is used. In EAV, encourage clustering of buildings E1.1b and tracts of shared open space to reduce High PB, BOS Minor Ongoing BOS, PB total impervious surface. Decrease impervious surfaces by E1.1c encouraging efficient design of parking Medium PB, BOS Moderate Ongoing PB, BOS spaces. Amend Zoning Bylaw to factor in a “bonus” of 25% for TDRs sold from the parcels E1.1d Appendix A Moderate, along the riparian (streamside) corridor High PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * – Article H 2 months along Great Road to the other side of Great Road. MassHighway, Encourage snow stockpiling on pervious Highway, E1.1e surfaces as far away as possible from water Medium Appendix N Minor Ongoing Property bodies and wetlands. Owners E1.1f Amend Zoning Bylaw to factor in a density Appendices Moderate, EAVPC, PB, High PB, TM Spring 2004 * bonus of .05 FAR for LEED Certification. A and L 2 months BOS

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 145

Recommended Strategies for Environment, Open Space and Recreation Goal E1 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Require the planting of shade trees around the perimeter of parking areas to keep them PB, BOS, E1.1g cool, particularly near wetlands or water Medium Appendix L Tree Minor Ongoing PB, BOS bodies, and discourage the removal of Warden mature trees in these areas. Educate the business owners in the EAV ConsCom, area, as well as the public at large, to the E1.1h Medium Moderate Ongoing BOH, NGOs, importance of maintaining quality water EAVO bodies. Support the creation of a town wastewater management body so that the most E1.1i Medium Appendix O BOS Moderate 2008 BOS, BOH appropriate wastewater treatment options are available to East Acton Village. Inform developers or redevelopers interested in property in the EAV area of documents indicating the location of any BOH, Natural E1.2a Low Minor Ongoing substantial releases of oil or hazardous Resources material and the contaminant plume locations (if any). Educate the public via articles in the Municipal Quarterly and elsewhere BOH, E1.2b regarding significant releases of oil or Low Minor Ongoing ConsCom, hazardous materials in EAV (as well as NGOs, AWD other areas of Acton).

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 146 Recommended Strategies for Environment, Open Space and Recreation Goal E1 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Support local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) via information ConsCom, E1.2c sharing and other means in their efforts to Low Minor Ongoing BOH, BOS maintain awareness of the status of local releases. Incorporate Massachusetts Stormwater E1.3a Management Policies in their entirety into High PB, TM Minor Spring 2005 PB the Acton Zoning Bylaw. ConsCom, Design stormwater best management Ongoing with Engineering, practices (BMPs) and Integrated development E1.3b High PB, BOS Minor Highway, Management Practices (IMPs) to work & BOS, PB, effectively in the New England climate. redevelopment BOH Amend Zoning Bylaw to permit waiving of parking lot landscaping dimensional Appendices E1.3c requirements if landscaped areas are Moderate, High A (Article I) PB, TM Spring 2004 EAVPC, PB * consolidated for the purposes of parking lot 2 months and M runoff bioretention and the minimum dimensions of said areas are 38x12 feet. BOH, Implement non-structural stormwater E1.3d Medium Moderate 2005 ConsCom, BMPs. NGOs E1.3e Implement pet waste clean-up program. Medium Minor 2005 BOH Moderate, Encourage participation in the LEED E1.3f Appendices 2 months, BOS (site (Leadership in Energy and Environmental High Spring 2004 * A and L then plan), PB Design) Green Building Rating System. ongoing

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 147 Recommended Strategies for Environment, Open Space and Recreation Goal E1 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date EAVPC, Amend Town Bylaw to ban non-emergency E1.3g Moderate, Municipal internal combustion engines used in or on Medium Appendix B BOS Spring 2004 * 2 months Properties, Ice House Pond. Police

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 148

Goal E2: Enhance outdoor recreation opportunities in the EAV area.

Objective 1: Improve pedestrian and bicycle access to, between and within recreation and conservation areas, e.g. the proposed Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.

Objective 2: Provide and encourage recreational opportunities in the EAV Area such as skating, cross-country skiing, hiking, fishing and canoeing.

Issues, Recommendations, and Implementation

East Acton Village once shared many of the desirable characteristics of a village. It now, though, has no real, defined center. It has been swallowed up by the strip mall/commercial growth along Great Road. While there are no undeveloped parcels of significant size within the EAV boundaries, there are several parcels surrounding the village that bear careful attention for the future. These land parcels are mainly located along the proposed Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is a pedestrian and bicycle trail planned to extend from Lowell to South Sudbury (see Chapter 7). The East Acton portion (4.5 miles) of the proposed trail follows the old Penn Central Railroad right-of-way alongside Nashoba Brook. The trail will connect several of the conservation and recreational parcels along its length. Two properties, Ice House Pond and the Morrison Property (116 Concord Road), along with the Woodland Cemetery, represent a wildlife corridor through to the Acton Arboretum. Part of the goal is to preserve and carefully manage these parcels in keeping with the village character and enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities in the village.

Currently, there are no outdoor recreational facilities within the EAV District. However, there are several privately owned recreational areas just outside the EAV district that provide a variety of opportunities for sports enthusiasts. Ice House Pond (a twelve-acre impoundment of Nashoba Brook) provides several low-key forms of recreation. Winter activities include skating and ice fishing. Warmer weather finds people fishing, row- boating, canoeing and bird watching. The Nashoba Brook runs south from the pond through the village to Concord. These areas both support an active and important water and wildlife habitat.

The proposed EAV Green is located on the northwest side of the Great Road and Concord Road intersection. It will provide a gateway to EAV and Ice House Pond as well as an area for people to gather around benches and plantings. A conceptual plan for the Green exists and the Town should make implementation of this plan a top priority (see Chapter 7). Also, the realization of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail will bring many to the village who will find it a convenient and scenic rest stop. A feasibility study for the Rail Trail has been completed and efforts should be made to support its implementation. The soccer fields on Concord Road, while outside the village, are accessible from the village by sidewalk. The fields are Town-owned as part of the Woodland Cemetery

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 149

property. The land is currently leased to the Recreation Department on an annual basis. Eventually, this area will be used for cemetery purposes.

The future improvement of the Morrison property will provide significant draw to this already growing recreational area. There are preliminary plans from the Conway School of Design for ball fields and for improved trails within the forested area. The 5 Year Open Space and Recreation Plan 2002-2007 (OSRP) states that “funds will be sought for the final design and construction of athletic fields at the Morrison Farm.” 51 When planning for the Morrison property, playgrounds should also be considered. Every village has a playground except East Acton. Playgrounds provide additional recreational opportunities, bring people together, and help create a sense of community.

There are several tracts of open space within and proximate to EAV. Two of these 1 parcels, a 5 /3 acre parcel and a 27 ¾ acre parcel located on Wetherbee Street are privately owned and currently tax-sheltered under Massachusetts Forestry Laws. They are allowed reduced property tax status in return for retaining the land open for forestry. Also, there are two large parcels of fields on either side of Wetherbee Street at the Route 2 intersection that bear careful consideration. The Town owns conservation land on the west side of Wetherbee Street and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts owns the open fields on the east side. These fields are currently leased to the Department of Corrections to grow cattle fodder. All the fields are zoned conservation (ARC – Agriculture Recreation Conservation). Acton, and EAV residents in particular, have identified the preservation of open space as a means to increase the Town’s recreational potential, protect the Town’s natural resources, and maintain Acton’s remaining rural character. The OSRP states “If any of these fields become available, the town’s highest priority should be to purchase them from the state, as was done with the Wetherbee Street parcel, keep them in agriculture and as a scenic overlook.” 52

There are several improvements that will help to maintain and enhance the outdoor recreation opportunities within the village area. The proposed Rail Trail and future field and trail development of the Morrison Property will provide a balance of commercial development and recreational use in the EAV district to contribute to a viable village. Consequently, the appropriate infrastructure will need to be in place to support this additional use. Currently, sidewalks do not exist with any consistency, and where they do exist, conditions vary. There are no current cyclist facilities. There are no buffers between the sidewalks and road. There are no crosswalks on Great Road within EAV. The needed improvements to sidewalks as identified in the EAV Transportation and Infrastructure section will provide the critical pedestrian connections to the village. Finally, access to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is crucial. Two possibilities exist: at the intersection of Concord Road with Great Road and Wetherbee Street with Great Road. Both lend themselves to being gateways to and from the rail trail.

To improve recreational opportunities in the EAV planning area, the following strategies are recommended.

51 Town of Acton Open Space and Recreation Plan 2002-2007. Page 6 52 Town of Acton Open Space and Recreation Plan 2002-2007. Page 48

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 150 Recommended Strategies for Environment, Open Space and Recreation Goal E2

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Construct or reconstruct sidewalks to Highway, improve pedestrian access within, to and BOS, MassHighway, E2.1a High Major 2004-2010 from EAV as described in the MassHighway Property Transportation and Infrastructure chapter. Owners Raise public awareness of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and EAV Green via signage, letters to newspapers, public Appendix BOS EAVO, BFRT E2.1b High Moderate 2004 meetings, brochures available at kiosk, E (signage) Committee library and town hall, public meetings and events. BOS, Ensure that a substantial portion of the Municipal Morrison land is left in its natural state to Reference E2.2a High BOS, TM Moderate 2004 Properties, achieve a balance of passive and active 7 Natural recreation on the parcel. Resources BOS, Support the development of playing fields Municipal Reference E2.2b and playgrounds on a portion of the High BOS, TM Moderate 2004 Properties, 7 Morrison property. Natural Resources Encourage the Open Space and E2.2c Recreation Committee to have an EAV Medium BOS Minor Ongoing BOS, OSRC resident on the Committee. Municipal Establish, construct, and continually Appendix Major, 2 2004, Properties, E2.2d High BOS enhance the East Acton Village Green. D years ongoing Highway, Volunteers

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 151

Goal E3: Protect, enhance, and manage open spaces that have value as aesthetic, agricultural, recreational, wetland, flood control and/or wildlife resources.

Objective 1: Promote creation and enhancement of open spaces for public use.

Objective 2: Encourage protection and enhancement of wildlife habitat.

Objective 3: Support the establishment of a protected green belt along Nashoba Brook and Ice House Pond.

Objective 4: Promote cleanup of debris from private and public spaces.

Objective 5: Raise public awareness of the natural resources in the EAV area and their benefits to the EAV community.

Issues

Respondents to the East Acton Village Resident Survey, when asked what about the desirability of uses “if properties become available in or near the current EAV Zoning District” strongly favored (72%) open space and parks. Business and property owners also favored open space to some degree – 10 respondents found the use undesirable, 19 were neutral, and 16 believed open space and parks to be a desirable use. 53

“Why protect open space? In short, land conservation can create more healthy, livable, economically sound communities. Consider these benefits:

v Open space is good for the bottom line….Real estate analysts predict long- term economic advantage will go to communities that are able to guide growth using land conservation and other smart-growth measures. v Open space attracts home buyers. Open space and trails are among the top community features home buyers look for when choosing a home…. v Open space protects public health. Land use practices that create runoff are some of the biggest threats to public drinking water supplies. v Open space protects the environment. By protecting open space, forestlands, and wetlands, communities protect endangered species habitat and keep the air and water clean….

53 http://www.town.acton.ma.us/eav/eav_residential_survey.htm, http://www.town.acton.ma.us/eav/Desirability%20Bus.htm

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 152

v Open space can secure our quality of life and our lifestyle. With a community’s most treasured places preserved, so too are its character and quality of life.”54

Very little green space remains in the EAV zoning district proper. The only unmanaged spaces exist in a narrow margin along Nashoba Brook; this greenbelt is critical to the health of the riparian (streamside) habitat. The proposed EAV Green on the corner of Concord and Great Roads as designed by a Commonwealth grant-funded consultant (The Cecil Group) would be a public space that includes a landscaped green space, a seating area, and an informational kiosk. The parking area of Colonial Spirits Plaza has recently been redeveloped to include vegetated islands and lawn and to create a pedestrian plaza area.

The EAV’s immediate surroundings present a mixed bag: there are commercial properties to the east set far back from Great Road with large steep green buffer areas between the roadway and buildings, a strip of commercial properties along Nashoba Brook comprised of a sea of asphalt broken only by structures, residential areas, light industrial areas and the open space of the Morrison land. Substantial tracts of woods and fields owned by private citizens, the Town, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are located along Wetherbee Street, which connects EAV to Route 2 West. Of all these properties, only the Acton Conservation Land on Wetherbee Street is currently protected as open space. The Morrison land is classified “general municipal” although currently planned for recreational use. The Moritz property on Wetherbee Street is currently in forestry use under Chapter 61 but could be developed in the future. The substantial tract of Commonwealth-owned agricultural land that gives Acton a rural feel from Route 2 could be subject to sale or development by the Commonwealth. The Open Space Recreation Plan (OSRP) emphasizes that “if any of these fields become available, their purchase from the State should be a high priority”. 55

The Acton Master Plan and the East Acton Village Plan intend to discourage sprawl by concentrating development into a more intimate, centralized area, surrounded by open space and less dense development that will protect environmentally sensitive areas while defining the village and better serving the social, cultural, financial and environmental goals of the community. Small pockets of open space should also be located within East Acton Village to provide visual interest, wildlife mini-habitats, and respite for people. Further development of East Acton Village in this manner will provide a more pedestrian-friendly area with open spaces where friends and neighbors can meet, shop, enjoy refreshments, relax, and foster a stronger sense of community.

Recommendations

Objective 1: Promote the creation and enhancement of open spaces for public use.

54 Trust for Public Land and National Association for Counties, Local Greenprinting for Growth, p. 6-7. 55 OSRP p. 48

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· Encourage the creation of smaller public open spaces and “pocket parks” within EAV. Vegetated islands in parking lots lend eye appeal to a shopping district. Small raised gardens along the fronts and sides of buildings also lend eye appeal. Both planting areas can be host to a variety of birds and butterflies. Small pedestrian plazas, or open spaces within the shopping district, encourage gatherings of people; if these areas are grassed and landscaped, they add wildlife habitat value.

· Using the OSRP priority list and other ranking tools, protect appropriate existing open space and create new open space by the “reclamation” of high priority parcels in the greater EAV area. There are several developed parcels within the 200-foot riparian buffer zone as defined by the Massachusetts Rivers Act. These parcels are still vulnerable to further development. With the use of TDRs and PDRs, many parcels smaller than those usually approved for Conservation Restrictions may be protected from denser development. Eventually, with the use of Community Preservation Act funds as they become available, such parcels may be purchased outright by the Town or a private land conservation organization such as Sudbury Valley Trustees or Acton Conservation Trust. Smaller sensitive parcels, such as the strip of small buildings along Nashoba Brook, may be relatively affordable yet have a high environmental protection value. It may be desirable for the Town or a conservation organization to purchase these properties for their open space value as they come on the market.

· Ensure protection of larger open spaces in the greater EAV area by outright purchase, Purchase of Development Rights (PDRs), Conservation Restrictions (CRs), or Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs). Larger parcels may also be protected by the granting of a Conservation Restriction (CR) by the landowner. TDRs and PDRs are also viable means of protecting larger tracts of land and may be more economically viable than outright purchase.

Objective 2: Encourage the protection and enhancement of wildlife habitat.

The Ice House Pond basin is a corridor for white-tailed deer, coyote, red fox and fisher. More permanent residents include Canada geese, wood ducks, mallards, muskrat and beaver. River otters, opossum, several species of turtle, snake, frog, and fish also live in and around the pond. Over one hundred bird species have been seen from the Dam House in the spring.56 South of Ice House Pond, toward Route 2, nesting bluebirds can be found in the appropriate season. 57 While certain species require a level of remoteness from human activity, many birds, insects, and small mammals are content with mini-habitats if they contain appropriate food and shelter.

56 www.damhouse.com 57 OSRP p. 45-46

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· Encourage participation in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System. LEED Credit 2 requires that development be channeled to “protect greenfields and preserve habitat and natural resources.”58 This LEED credit refers to “’greenprinting’, a smart growth strategy that emphasizes land conservation to ensure quality of life, clean air and water, recreation and economic health.” 59 Potential incentives include an appropriate increase in Floor Area Ratio (FAR) or allowance for extra signage to advertise LEED status.

· Publicize and encourage participation in habitat creation/preservation programs such as the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) Backyard Habitat Program and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Urban Wildlife Sanctuary Program. Both HSUS and NWF are long- established national organizations. NWF has posted an on-line course on its website at http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/. Owners of Certified Habitats may publicize themselves by ordering a 9x12 inch sign made out of recycled aluminum. Business owners may also leverage the creation of habitats into publicity by sponsoring habitat creation events on their property and enlisting the participation of local Boy Scout, Girl Scout, and Campfire groups. The HSUS describes its program as providing “individuals and communities the opportunity to assess and improve their property’s usefulness as a wildlife habitat.”60 HSUS provides instructions for creation of a sanctuary and a certificate, and has signs available for purchase. The HSUS and NWF programs are similar. The HSUS program is described in detail at http://www.hsus.org/ace/12006. These programs, in fact, should be encouraged town-wide (see Appendix R).

· Encourage and support establishment of a greenbelt for habitat purposes along Nashoba Brook (see Objective 3). Riparian (streamside) habitats support a wide variety of bird, mammal, insect and plant life.

Objective 3: Support the establishment of a protected green belt along Nashoba Brook and Ice House Pond.

The Connecticut River Joint Commissions noted that riparian (streamside) buffers have many desirable attributes:

v “Wildlife Habitat. The distinctive habitat offered by riparian buffers is home to a multitude of plant and animal species, including those rarely found outside this narrow band of land influenced by the river [or stream]. Continuous stretches of riparian buffer also serve as wildlife travel corridors.

58 LEED 2.1 p.3 59 Trust for Public Land and National Association for Counties, “Local Greenprinting for Growth”, p. 6 60 http://www.hsus.org/ace/12053

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v Aquatic Habitat. Forested riparian buffers benefit aquatic habitat by improving the quality of nearby waters through shading, filtering, and moderating stream flow. …It can also create stepped pools, providing cover for fish and their food supply while reducing erosion by slowing flow. v Recreation and Aesthetics. Forested buffers are especially valuable in providing a green screen along waterways, blocking views of nearby development and allowing privacy for riverfront landowners. Buffers can also provide such recreational opportunities as hiking trails and camping.” 61

· Prioritize land areas along Nashoba Brook and Ice House Pond for protection as open space. A narrow green belt currently exists along most of the length of Nashoba Brook habitat, however, it is interrupted in the EAV area. Ideally, for environmental protection, stream buffers should be 300 feet. The Massachusetts Rivers Protection Act places a 200-foot riparian (streamside) area under the jurisdiction of local Conservation Commissions, but a buffer as narrow as 35-50 feet is considered minimal effective space in most cases.62 Acquisition of privately owned property by voluntary sale may be desirable in order to establish a more extensive greenbelt. Since outright purchase of multiple properties along the entire length of Nashoba Brook and Ice House Pond in the EAV area is financially infeasible in current economic conditions, prioritization using predetermined guidelines and incorporating the Open Space and Recreation Plan’s current priority list is desirable.

· Enable protection of prioritized parcels by municipal or private agencies, such as the Acton Conservation Trust (ACT), Sudbury Valley Trustees (SVT), etc. There are several methods to protect and preserve environmentally sensitive real estate, including the generation of Conservation Easements or Restrictions (CRs), a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR), and a Purchase of Development Rights (PDR).

Conservation Restrictions (CR) “enable a landowner to protect natural resources on his/her property while retaining full ownership and the ability to sell or convey the property subject to the terms of the restriction. A CR is a voluntary, legally binding, permanent agreement between a landowner (grantor) and a holder (grantee), usually a public agency or a private non-profit land conservation organization. The grantor agrees to limit the use of his/her property for the purpose of protecting certain conservation values. The conservation restriction is recorded at the Registry of Deeds and runs with the title. Certain income, estate or real estate tax benefits may be available to the grantor of a conservation restriction.“63 CRs are a very flexible tool

61 Connecticut River Joint Commissions, “Introduction to Riparian Buffers”, p. 1 62 Ibid p. 3 63 Massachusetts Audubon Society, “Legislative Priorities”, http://www.massaudubon.org/News_&_Action/Priorities/cons_restr_amndact.html

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with which landowners (grantors) can negotiate with the entity to hold the restriction (grantee – usually a municipal body or land conservation group, such as ACT or SVT) as to the allowed activities, and they require State-level approval.

TDRs entail the selling of development rights from a parcel in a legally designated “sending” district to another parcel in a legally designated “receiving” district. Development rights can be sold from riparian areas to less environmentally sensitive parcels in EAV. PDRs are the outright purchase of the development rights, usually by a governmental body or a conservation organization, and they cannot be used on any parcel. The value of the development rights in both cases is negotiated according to the difference between current and potential use of the land and the resulting increase in real estate value due to potential more intensive development. Deed restrictions apply in both cases on the “sending” or “selling” parcel.

Objective 4: Promote cleanup of debris from private and public spaces. Aside from being unsightly, litter and debris can leach contaminants and harm wildlife by ingestion or entanglement.

· Designate a location within East Acton Village for Acton Cleanup Day. Cleanup Day is an annual event currently promoted and managed by the Acton Conservation Trust. Establishing a sign-in and drop-off location in East Acton Village would render EAV as visible as other sections of town for Cleanup Day. Should the Town-wide cleanup be discontinued in the future, it is strongly recommended that an East Acton Cleanup event be organized to take its place.

· Encourage the cleanup of larger debris in the EAV area by establishing an award for improved properties. This award could be publicized in the local press, “Municipal Quarterly”, or by use of temporary signage.

· In the Municipal Quarterly, The Beacon, EAV Green kiosk and elsewhere, publicize the detrimental effects of litter and debris on the environment and wildlife. Small articles regarding the hazardous materials that can leach out of certain discarded containers as well as the danger to wildlife that might swallow plastic scraps, etc. will remind the public that litter is more than an aesthetic issue.

Objective 5: Raise public awareness of the natural resources in the EAV area and their benefits to the EAV community.

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While the Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) is a document of vital importance to the greater Acton community, its readership will probably be somewhat narrow. Less extensive informational pieces distributed to a wider audience need to be published. Potential methods of informing the public include:

· Publication of articles in the Municipal Quarterly. This publication reaches a broad readership, but informational pieces need to be brief.

· Requesting feature articles to be published in The Beacon. Use of this widely-read publication requires buy-in from the newspaper staff and expenditure of money or a trip to a library to read.

· Expansion/continuation of nature walks with the Town Natural Resources Department Director, or other qualified individual, on Wetherbee Street Conservation Land, Morrison Land, and in the future if established, the Nashoba Brook Greenway. These structured outings are a long-standing, popular means of raising the consciousness of Actonians to Acton’s wildlife and open spaces.

· Request publication of articles on the Nashoba Brook/Ice House Pond area in Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) newsletters and/or websites (Organization for the Assabet River (OAR), Acton Conservation Trust (ACT), Stream Team, etc.) OAR’s interest in Nashoba Brook is evidenced by its Stream Quality board next to Concord Road; a discussion of the lands surrounding the brook would be a natural outgrowth of this project. As a land trust, ACT by definition is dedicated to open space preservation. The Steam Team maintains an attractive and informative website to publicize the conditions of Acton’s streams.

· Post informational pieces about open space in the EAV area in the EAV Green information kiosk and on the municipal website. Once established, and particularly once the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail has been developed, the EAV Green should enjoy a great deal of public use. The planned kiosk can serve to educate visitors about the value of the open spaces in the greater EAV area.

· Encourage the designers of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail to include turn-out areas with appropriate informational signage near significant open spaces and habitats. In this manner, users of the trail can safely view, enjoy, and learn about the surroundings.

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 158 Recommended Strategies for Environment, Open Space and Recreation Goal E3

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Encourage creation of smaller public open E3.1a Appendix A spaces and “pocket parks” within the EAV area High TM Moderate Ongoing PB, BOS * – Article G in design standards. Using the OSRP priority list and other ranking tools, protect appropriate existing open space PB, BOS, and create new open space by the Appendices E3.1b High TM Major Ongoing ConsCom, “reclamation” of high priority parcels in the P and Q OSRC greater EAV area, by outright purchase, PDRs, CRs or TDRs. E3.2a Amend Zoning Bylaw to factor in a density Appendices Moderate, EAVPC, PB, High TM Spring 2004 * bonus of .05 for LEED Certification. A and L 2 months BOS Publicize and encourage participation in programs such as the National Wildlife PB, Natural E3.2b Federation’s Backyard Habitat Program and the Medium Appendix R Minor Ongoing Resources, Humane Society of the United States Urban Volunteers, Wildlife Sanctuary Program. Planning, Support the establishment of a protected green Natural E3.2c belt along Nashoba Brook and Ice House Pond High Appendix P TM Major Ongoing Resources, by prioritization and acquisition of land areas. OSRC, NGOs PB, Prioritize land areas along Nashoba Brook and Appendices E3.3a High Moderate Ongoing ConsCom, Ice House Pond for protection as open space. P and Q OSRC Enable protection of high priority parcels by TM if BOS, NGOs, E3.3b municipal or private agencies by outright High municipal Major Ongoing ConsCom, purchase or use of TDRs, CRs, or PDRs. purchase OSRC Designate a location within East Acton Village 2004, EAVO, ACT, E3.4a Medium Minor for Acton Cleanup Day. Ongoing Volunteers

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Recommended Strategies for Environment, Open Space and Recreation Goal E3 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Encourage cleanup of larger debris in the EAV EAVO, E3.4b area by establishing an award and a means of Medium Minor Ongoing Volunteers publicizing it. In the Municipal Quarterly, The Beacon, the Natural EAV Green kiosk and elsewhere, publicize the E3.4c Medium Minor Ongoing Resources, detrimental effects of litter and debris on the Volunteers environment and wildlife. Natural Resources, E3.5a Publish articles in the Municipal Quarterly. High Minor Ongoing Planning, Volunteers Request feature articles to be published in The E3.5b Medium Minor Ongoing Volunteers Beacon. Continue to conduct nature walks with the Town Natural Resources Department Director Natural or other qualified individual on Wetherbee E3.5c Medium Minor Ongoing Resources, Street Conservation Land, Morrison Land, and Volunteers in the future if established, the Nashoba Brook Greenway. Request publication of articles on the Nashoba Brook/Ice House Pond area in the NGO E3.5d newsletters and/or websites (Organization for Medium Minor Ongoing Volunteers the Assabet River (OAR), Acton Conservation Trust (ACT), Stream Team, etc.). Natural Post informational pieces about Open space in Resources, E3.5e the EAV area in the EAV Green information Medium BOS Moderate Ongoing Planning, kiosk. Volunteers

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 160 Recommended Strategies for Environment, Open Space and Recreation Goal E3 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Natural Establish turnout areas along the Bruce BOS, Resources, Major, 5 E3.5f Freeman Rail Trail so that cyclists may enjoy Medium TM, 2009 BFRT years the views of natural open space. EOTC Construction Consultant

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Goal E4: Protect and promote air quality in the EAV area.

Objective 1: Encourage and support the establishment of green spaces.

Objective 2: Ensure that existing and future development or redevelopment minimizes harmful and noxious air emissions.

Objective 3: Minimize pollutant effects associated with motor vehicle traffic while ensuring public safety.

Issues

The sprawl development, both commercial and residential, that has become so common throughout the region has dramatic impacts on air and water quality. Concentrating future growth in centers so as to make efficient and maximum use of existing infrastructure will help minimize the negative environmental effects on the Town and region. Also mitigating the air quality problems of the village are the green spaces around and throughout the area. Additional green spaces and landscaping, such as trees and grass, provide shade in the summer months and help purify the water and air. Trees have been shown to sequester most air pollutants from cars, including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxide, ozone, and even particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter64,65. The shade provided by trees in the summer reduces evaporative emissions from parked cars, and reduces the need for energy consumption for cooling cars and buildings. Improving the efficient flow of vehicles though the Village and limiting vehicle speed while in the Village will also help reduce air pollution due to traffic through the Village.

Recommendations

Appropriate levels of landscaping along the streets, throughout the parking areas and between businesses should be encouraged for air quality, aesthetics and a pedestrian- scale, friendly environment for customers and local residents. Design standards can encourage people to stay out of their cars and walk. Buildings and streetscapes should be sized to be comfortable for the pedestrian, with ample sidewalks and low sidewalk lighting, plenty of interesting storefronts for pedestrians, and ample green space and places to stop and rest. Businesses and developers should be encouraged to provide pedestrian plazas with ample greenery. The Town should fund the creation and maintenance of the Bruce Freeman Memorial Rail Trail along East Acton Village, and should ensure that a portion of the Morrison land remain in its current natural state.

64 http://www.coloradotrees.org/benefits.htm, accessed December 8, 2003

65 Nowak, David J. “The Effects of Urban Trees on Air Quality,” USDA Forest Service, Syracuse, New York, November 1995 (http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/syracuse/)

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Objective 1: Amend the Zoning Bylaw to incorporate Village Landscaping Standards.

The Planning Board should adopt new landscaping standards for the Village District. These standards should include shade trees on Village roads and adequate green landscaping among buildings and along pedestrian ways to enhance the beauty of the Village, encourage pedestrian use, and help purify the air in the Village. The Planning Board should require all new development in the district to meet the landscaping standards. The Town should encourage existing developments in the district to move to the new standards whenever possible

The Town should work with the Massachusetts Highway Department, local developers, business owners and residents to line streets within the Village with shade trees and to place trees and greenery throughout the Village parking areas. All landscaping should use salt-tolerant and drought-tolerant native species.

Objective 2: Ensure that existing and future development or redevelopment minimizes harmful and noxious air emissions (see LEED sections on Energy and Atmosphere and Indoor Environmental Air Quality).

The Town will continue to enforce all zoning and environmental regulations, and work with state and federal authorities regarding state and federal regulations. The Town should encourage the use of devices on wastewater treatment systems to mitigate noxious odors in the Village.

Should an onsite wastewater system be determined to be a nuisance under MGL Chapter 111, Section 122, the Board of Health will consider all means necessary to abate the nuisance, and require the owner to take appropriate measures. The East Acton Village should be maintained as a pleasant environment for people, and any complaints regarding chronic wastewater odors should be addressed.

Objective 3: Minimize pollutant effects associated with motor vehicle traffic while ensuring public safety.

The Town should strive to maintain an even stream of traffic flow, at reduced speed, through East Acton Village. Traffic calming measures, such as on-street parking, traffic lights and crosswalks increase pedestrian safety and use, and should be considered to reduce energy consumption and pollution. Traffic flow through the Village should not be unduly hampered, however. The Town should work with the State to provide turning lanes, as well as sidewalks and street landscaping (see the Transportation and Infrastructure section for more details.) The Town should encourage and promote the establishment of a public transportation shuttle service between the Village and the MBTA Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line, with possible expansion to other local areas as well.

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Zoning should encourage the concentration of commercial and residential development in areas in and around the District, while limiting the development away from the District, to maximize the efficient use of District resources and infrastructure.

Currently the only public transportation available from EAV is a bus that makes one round trip daily into downtown Boston. More public transportation options, including shuttles to local destinations, should be encouraged as soon as they become economically viable. Traffic volume and resultant pollutants could be mitigated by reducing traffic volume by promoting the implementation of a public transportation network.

Implementation

The proposed Bruce Freeman Memorial Rail Trail has received widespread support from the community. The Town has funded a study for the development of the rail trail portion that is in Acton. The Town should continue supporting and funding the development of the rail trail. The rail trail will provide a non-polluting transportation alternative into and out of the village.

The Town must make a concerted effort to improve traffic flow and to calm traffic in the Village District. The major traffic route, Great Road (Great Road), is a State highway, and as such, will require State approval for any improvements to the roadway and in the highway layout. The Town must lobby MassHighway to implement traffic calming measures and improve traffic flow on Great Road. See the Transportation section for specific details regarding traffic mitigation recommendations.

The Town must encourage the use of pedestrian, bicycle, and public transportation whenever possible. The Town should develop a schedule for the addition of crosswalks, on-street and/or collective use of parking, sidewalks, vehicle turning lanes and bicycle lanes, to encourage people to park their cars and use alternative forms of transportation within the Village.

Chapter 6 – Environment, Open Space, and Recreation Page 164 Recommended Strategies for Environment, Open Space and Recreation Goal E4

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date BOS, Ensure that a substantial portion of the Municipal Reference E4.1a Morrison property remains in its natural High BOS, TM Moderate 2004 Properties, 7 state. Natural Resources E4.1b Amend Zoning Bylaw to establish Village Appendix A Moderate, High Planning Spring 2004 Planning * landscaping and plaza standards. – Article G 2 months Engineering, Amend Zoning Bylaw to allow for density Appendices E4.1c Moderate, EDC, bonus to encourage participation in LEED Medium A (Article Spring 2004 * 2 months Planning, Green Building Rating System. H) and L BOH Engineering, Amend Zoning Bylaw to allow for density Appendices E4.2a Moderate, EDC, bonus to encourage participation in LEED Medium A (Article Spring 2004 * 2 months Planning, Green Building Rating System. H) and L BOH Encourage control of odors from E4.2b Low Minor Ongoing BOH wastewater treatment systems. Work with MassHighway to improve traffic Engineering, E4.3a flow to reduce pollution from idling Medium Appendix C MassHighway Major Ongoing Highway vehicles. Work with Mass Highway to calm traffic to Engineering, E4.3b High Appendix C MassHighway Major 2006 encourage pedestrian and bicycle use. Highway Provide turning lanes on Pope Road and Concord Road as suggested in the Moderate, Engineering, E4.3c Medium MassHighway 2005, 2006 Transportation and Infrastructure section of 2 weeks Highway this document. Construct sidewalks according to the Major, E4.3d recommendations in the Transportation High 2004-2010 BOS Ongoing and Infrastructure section of this document.

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Recommended Strategies for Environment, Open Space and Recreation Goal E4 (cont’d)

Desired Strategy Appendix/ Approval Amount Person(s) Strategy Priority Completion Number Reference Required of Effort Responsible Date Support the implementation of a regional E4.3e public transportation system as it becomes Low BOS, TM Major Ongoing BOS feasible. BOS, Natural Ensure the completion and integration of Resources, E4.3f High Appendix E BOS, TM Moderate 2006 the BFRT into EAV. Municipal Properties

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CHAPTER 7: OTHER PROJECTS IN THE EAST ACTON VILLAGE PLANNING AREA

EAST ACTON VILLAGE GREEN (EAV GREEN)

On the northwestern corner of Concord Road and Great Road are two half-acre parcels that EAVPC is recommending to be turned into East Acton Village Green (“EAV Green”). The Town of Acton currently owns the parcels. These parcels have importance to the Town for the following reasons:

· Historically Significant · Gateway to EAV · Recreationally and Ecologically Significant

This section will speak to the importance of the EAV Green, the processes that EAVPC went through to arrive at the proposed EAV Green, the plan itself and the future of the EAV Green.

Why the EAV Green?

The one-acre area where the proposed EAV Green would be located has significant historic ties. An East Acton Village green was located adjacent to the site in the early 1900s (see Figure 2 in Chapter 1). The site was also the location of the East Acton Railroad Depot (see Figure 1 in Chapter 1). The Depot was part of the Lowell to Framingham railroad line and was founded in the late 1800’s. It was in operation until the mid-1930s and the depot was removed in 1938. EAV still has a few structures remaining that have direct ties to the Depot. The telegraph pole and railroad tracks (that were closest to the depot) shown in the photograph are still present on the site and should be preserved and maintained. The home of the last stationmaster (Arthur Raynor) of the Depot is located across Great Road from the EAV Green. This home is being restored by the current owner.

The EAV Green abuts Ice House Pond. The Pond was used for harvesting ice in the 1800’s through the 1950’s. At the east end of Ice House Pond, across Concord Road, was a Grist Mill that has been turned into a residence and can be seen from the proposed EAV Green.

The EAV Green is strategically located near the northwesterly edge of the village. These parcels would act as the gateway into the heart of the village. EAVPC is proposing that a sign be placed on the EAV Green that faces the east bound traffic on Great Road that would identify East Acton Village. Figure 6 in Chapter 4 is a sample of a similar sign.

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One of the two parcels is already zoned Agriculture, Recreation and Conservation (“ARC”). As part of the EAV plan, the second parcel is recommended to be rezoned from Limited Business to ARC. The EAV Green abuts the Ice House Pond and is in close proximity to the Morrison Land, which is under review by the Town for future ARC uses. The proposed Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (“BFRT”) would bisect the EAV Green and the EAV Green integrates the proposed trail into its design but would not depend on the BFRT being completed.

Lastly, in the residential survey and the focus groups, the participants overwhelmingly desired open space within the village. The EAV Green will allow EAV businesses to give their employees an outdoor place to eat their lunch in the warmer weather. Users of the BFRT can stop and rest before continuing down the trail or over to the village. Neighbors can simply stop and enjoy the pond views.

What was the Process?

EAVPC formed a subcommittee to review the possibility of re-establishing a Green on the corner of Concord Road and Great Road. The committee drafted design criteria and approached three landscape designers. The firm selected informed the committee that State grants could be available for the design work. The committee applied to the Commonwealth and received a $5,000 grant for the design of the EAV Green. The Commonwealth named The Cecil Group (one of the three firms originally selected) as the preferred designer.

The committee worked with The Cecil Group to incorporate the criteria that the EAVPC felt were important. Specifically, the design had to include the following elements:

· Gateway to East Acton · Scenic rest-stop · Educational enlightenment: · History of EAV · Natural features · Low water/low maintenance/low impact on landscaping · Compatible with the proposed BFRT

What is the Design for EAV Green?

The current plan for EAV Green is located at Appendix D. The plan calls for a bluestone area at the former location of the train depot that corresponds to the footprint of the depot. Three of the four corners of the bluestone area would be framed with granite slabs that would double as benches. The fourth corner would be an informational kiosk that could display information about EAV’s history and current events in EAV.

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There would be short walking paths connecting the sidewalk along Concord Road, the bluestone area and the BFRT. A few granite benches would be located along the paths. The paths would be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The EAV Green would only occupy approximately 25% of the site and would be located next to Concord Road and Ice House Pond. The remainder of the site would be undeveloped with the exception of the rail bed, which may be converted to the BFRT.

What Next?

The Cecil Group estimated that if the Town contracted out all the construction work for the EAV Green, the cost would be approximately $100,000. Members of EAVPC have been working with local EAV businesses to make donations or donations in kind to reduce the overall cost. As of this writing, a significant portion of the costs have been pledged from these businesses. Other potential funding sources include the Community Preservation Act, private donations, State grants, etc.

Since the Town of Acton owns the parcels, the final EAV Green design would require submission to the Board of Selectmen for their approval. Also, because a portion of the EAV Green encroaches on the former rail line, which is now owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, EOTC, approvals from the State would be required before any work can begin. There is no current timetable for the construction of the EAV Green, but it is EAVPC’s desire to see the EAV Green completed in the next years.

THE BRUCE FREEMAN RAIL TRAIL (BFRT)

As described in the History Chapter, East Acton was once served by railroads, with a station located near the intersection of Concord and Great Roads. The tracks ran all the way from Framingham to Lowell and were used as recently as the early 1990’s to bring supplies to Rex Lumber and Acorn Structures. After the tracks were no longer in use, ownership of the railroad right of way was transferred to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Transportation and Construction.

Now there is a plan to convert the unused railroad bed to a multi-use, paved path that will run the full 22 miles from Framingham to Lowell (near Cross Point Towers). It is currently referred to as “the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail” (BFRT) in honor of Bruce N. Freeman, the late State Representative from Chelmsford who championed the creation of this rail trail. Completion of the portion of the BFRT from Lowell through Westford is scheduled for 2004.

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The Acton portion of the BFRT railroad bed is approximately 4.6 miles long. It begins in the north near the intersection of Main Street (Route 27) and Route 225 at the Carlisle town line. It then runs roughly along Main Street south to Great Road, where it curves slightly southeast through East Acton to the Concord town line at Route 2. The majority of the BFRT in Acton is very near Nashoba Brook. For details on the proposed design and construction of the BFRT in Acton, see the comprehensive Acton Rail Trail Feasibility Study, recently drafted for the Town of Acton by Fay, Spofford, and Thorndike (Appendix E).

EAVPC strongly supports the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and sees it as a significant transportation, recreation, and historic asset for Acton and EAV. The main reasons are as follows.

First, there is strong support for the BFRT among residents and business owners. When East Acton residents and Town Meeting attendees were asked to rate their potential rail trail use, the majority said they expected to use the trail occasionally to very frequently. Almost half (48%) of East Acton residents said they expected to use the trail “Very Frequently.” Among the 46 respondents to the business survey, only two expected the BFRT to have an unfavorable effect on their business or property; 23 expected it to have a favorable effect.

Second, the BFRT will bring increased pedestrians and bicyclists to EAV and is an important part of making EAV more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly.

Third, the BFRT will provide residents an important and healthy route to travel to destinations in EAV (such as Nashoba Brook, Ice House Pond, the Morrison Land, and all the businesses in EAV), destinations along the southeastern part of Great Road and the northern part of Main Street (such as all the businesses along Great Road, Veterans Memorial Field, Nashoba Brook Conservation Area, the Bay Circuit Trail, and the North Acton Recreation Area), and eventually destinations to the north as far as Lowell. Once the Route 2 rotary is replaced, the BFRT is planned to cross Route 2, allowing users of the trail to travel south to West Concord, Sudbury, and Framingham. It is particularly important to ensure that the BFRT safely crosses Route 2, because then it will provide a convenient connection from East Acton to the West Concord train station, allowing people to begin and end their daily commute by walking or biking instead of driving. In addition to simply transportation, the BFRT will provide excellent recreational opportunities in East Acton; the trail is being designed to be appropriate for multiple non-motorized uses, including biking, walking, roller blading, cross- country skiing, etc.

Fourth, because it bisects the East Acton Village Green, the BFRT is a significant and highly visible part of the Green. The Green will provide a convenient place for people to stop and rest, learn about EAV history through the kiosk displays, and enjoy Ice House Pond.

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Specific recommendations on how the BFRT fits into the EAV Plan can be found in Chapters 4 through 6 (Village Character and Housing; Transportation and Infrastructure; and Environment, Open Space, and Recreation).

Chapter 7 - Other Projects in the East Acton Village Planning Area Page 171

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